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PH tells China: No country can claim an entire sea by Pia Lee-Brago Philstar.com

mANILA—No matter how big or powerful a country is, it can never justify staking claim over an entire sea or use force to assert such claim, foreign Affairs secretary Albert del rosario said in an address before the United Nations General Assembly in response to China’s insistence that the West Philippine sea is theirs.

DATELINE

“the world cannot allow a country, no matter how powerful, to claim an entire sea as its own nor should it allow coercion to be an acceptable dispute settlement mechanism,” Del rosario told the 70th UN General Assembly last oct. 2. he also asked China to join the deliberations on the case filed by manila with the haguebased UN arbitral tribunal contesting Beijing’s massive claim

in the West Philippine sea. “With the growing support from the international community in peacefully resolving disputes in the south China sea, including through arbitration, the Philippines believes that the final outcome of this arbitration process would pave the way for a settlement of the maritime disputes,” Del rosario said. he said manila hopes to finally see Beijing’s actions match

its declarations so there would be real easing of tensions in the West Philippine and south China sea. In reply to Del rosario, the Chinese delegation said that while China wanted peaceful settlement in accordance with international law, it reiterated its preference for direct negotiations and consultations. China emphasized that its claim of sovereignty over the

south China sea and West Philippine sea is based on historical and legal foundations. “Given that the south China sea is an international waterway, the stronger the reason to settle any disputes thereof at an international level, under international law, including arbitration under Annex VII of UNCLos,” the DfA said, referring to the UN Convention on PAGE A2

“The world cannot allow a country, no matter how powerful, to claim an entire sea as its own nor should it allow coercion to be an acceptable dispute settlement mechanism,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario told the 70th UN General Assembly last Oct. 2.

Homeland Security to create parole program for Filipino WWII veterans

USA

from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

Gov. Brown signs historic right-to-die bill for California

by Christina

CALIforNIA Gov. Jerry Brown on monday, oct. 5, signed landmark legislation that allows physicians to prescribe lethal doses of drugs to terminally ill patients wishing to end their lives. his signature comes about three weeks after the measure cleared the state Legislature and will make California the fifth state where aid in dying is legal. In a signing statement, Brown, a lifelong Catholic and former Jesuit seminarian, said he PAGE A3

ROXAS-ROBREDO TANDEM. President Benigno S. Aquino III, along with presidential candidate former DILG Secretary Manuel Roxas II and vice presidential candidate Camarines Sur 3rd District Representative Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo, flashes the Laban “L” sign during the “Daang Matuwid: To Be Continued…” of the ruling Liberal Party at the Corazon C. Aquino Kalayaan Hall of the Club Filipino in San Juan City on Monday, Oct. 5. Malacañang photo by Benhur Arcayan

M. orieL/AJPress

the Department of homeland security (Dhs) is gearing up to implement a program that allows certain family members of filipino and filipino-American World War II veterans to receive parole to come to the United states. following President Barack obama’s executive actions on immigration announced last November, a White house report recommended a few ways that federal agencies can “modernize and streamline” the immigration system. A July 2015 report entitled “modernizing and streamlining our Legal Immigration system for the 21st century” stated that certain family members can be eligible to come to the United states to provide support and care for aging filipino veterans who are Us citizens or lawful permanent residents. “Parole, as provided for under the ImmigraPAGE A2

Eligible CA drivers Bongbong Marcos, Leni Robredo announce bids for PH vice president to get amnesty for traffic tickets by agnes

Constante AJPress

CALIforNIA is offering partial financial amnesty for some drivers with unpaid traffic tickets under a limited state amnesty program. Announced this week, the program--authorized by senate Bill 85, and promoted by CA Governor Jerry Brown’s administration--will allow motorists with outstanding tickets to pay them off at a reduced amount. the fee will be either 50 to 80 percent of the full citation amount, depending on the driver’s income, and will apply to tickets originally due on or before Jan. 1, 2013, officials said. PAGE A3

ferDINAND “Bongbong” marcos, Jr., the son of late former president ferdinand marcos, and Camarines sur rep. Leni robredo, have joined the pool of Philippine vice presidential contenders for the 2016 presidential election. marcos, Jr., on monday, oct. 5, declared his bid for the position without attaching himself to a presidential candidate. robredo, on monday, formally accepted the offer to run alongside Liberal Party presidential contender mar roxas. the announcement of the two new

bids brings the total of vice presidential candidates to six. other candidates for the post include sens. francis escudero, Antonio tillanes IV, Alan Peter Cayetano and Gregorio “Gringo” honasan. robredo is the only female candidate and contender from the house of representatives. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos marcos, in a statement announcing his bid, said he believes elected officials have an obligation to their people to help change the country’s history by eliminating “the politics of personality,” which he credits as a large reason the Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said he is putting his political fortune in the hands of the Philippines has become a corrupt state Filipino people as he is set to run for vice president in next year’s polls. PAGE A2 Inquirer.net photo by Ryan Leagogo

Remembering ‘People’s Dragon’ Joker Arroyo Drilon: Estrada, Revilla still allowed to run in 2016 polls by rosette

by rosette

adeL

Philstar.com

mANILA—former sen. Joker Arroyo, a human rights lawyer and freedom fighter, shocked the public of his sudden demise at the age of 88. Arroyo, also known as “People’s Dragon” or “Pipol’s Dragon” and popular for his motto “’Pag bad ka, lagot ka!” left a legacy in fighting for freedom rights. he was born on Jan. 5, 1972 in Naga City, Camarines sur. After graduating at the Ateneo de manila and UP College of Law, Arroyo served the public by handling more human rights cases than any other lawyer from 1972 to 1986. his passion for human and freedom rights raised Arroyo’s national consciousness that lead to challenging Proclamation 1080 imposing martial law before the supreme Court. he questioned the 1973 Constitution promulgated after then President ferdinand marcos’s declaration of military rule. During the period of martial law, Arroyo defended several political detainees which include Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, eugenio Lopez Jr., serge osmeña III, Jose maria sison, Jovito sa-

In this January 2012 file photo, Sen. Joker Arroyo sits as a senatorjudge at the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona. After years in law profession and public service, Arroyo passed away at the age of 88.

longa, Nene Pimentel, eva Kalaw, renato tañada, eduardo olaguer and many others. for opposing marcos’s iron rule, Arroyo went through physical and mental torture. he was imprisoned in a military stockade, gassed, injured and hospitalized during protest rallies. Arroyo also served as counsel of former PresiPAGE A3

mANILA—senate President franklin Drilon on Wednesday, oct. 7 said detained sens. Jinggoy estrada and ramon “Bong” revilla Jr. can still run in the 2016 national elections. Drilon said that according to the Constitution, the two detained senators are still allowed to run in the upcoming polls until they are declared guilty by the court. “Pwede po, dahilan sa hindi pa naman sila disqualified, hindi pa sila convicted. they are presumed innocent hanggang po magkaroon ng judgment sa husgado. Yaan po ay nasa ating Saligang Batas,” Drilon said in a radio interview. the two senators are currently detained at the Philippine National Custodial Center in Camp Crame for plunder charges related to the pork barPAGE A2

Although currently detained, Sens. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada are still allowed to run for the 2016 polls. Philstar.com photo

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october 9-15, 2015 • NorcAL ASIAN JoUrNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 616-4150

From the Front Page

PH tells China: No country... PAGE A1 the Law of the Sea. “We cannot, moreover, accept China’s illegal actions on its artificial islands as fait accompli,” he added. Meanwhile, the Philippine Navy and the navies of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore began on Monday, Oct. 5 a US-led joint naval

exercise in the West Philippine Sea, including in areas near Panatag Shoal off Zambales. The Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) kicked off in the area within the operational jurisdiction of the Naval Forces NorthWest (NFNW). “Exercise SEACAT is a scenario-driving tracking exercise

which focuses on real time information exchange between navy units involved, coordinated monitoring and close observation on our respective maritime territories, tracking suspicious vessels and eventual conduct of visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS),” Navy spokesman Commander Lued Lincuna said.

Homeland Security to create parole program... PAGE A1 ans rapidly aging—the White tion and Nationality Act, gives House estimates around 6,000 DHS discretion, on a case- veterans are still alive in the by-case basis, to permit indi- US today—having family memviduals to come to the United bers by their sides would proStates for a temporary period vide them with the necessary of time based upon urgent support and care. humanitarian reasons or for The United States has set up significant public benefit,” the similar parole programs, such US Citizenship and Immigra- as the Cuban Family Reunification Services (USCIS) said in a tion Parole Program and the statement on Friday, Oct. 2. Haitian Family Reunification However, the parole does Parole Program. Under those not grant the family member parole programs, the benefiany permanent right to remain ciaries are allowed to come to in the United States. the US and be eligible to apply Estimates indicate that as for work authorization while many as 26,000 Filipino veter- waiting to apply for lawful perans (of the over 260,000 Filipi- manent resident status. no soldiers who fought) are US Though the roll out date of citizens, after long being ex- the policy affecting Filipino cluded from a law that grant- veterans and their families is ed citizenship to foreign sol- yet to be announced, the USdiers serving in the US forces.  CIS and State Department will Some of the veterans have pe- provide the application protitioned family members from cess, and will be separate from the Philippines to join them the general family-based imin the United States; however, migration system. wait times can last years, often In the meantime, the USCIS times exceeding 20 years, due is developing criteria and an to statutory visa caps. application process for this With the population of veter- parole program, and will an-

nounce them in the coming months. The agency warns, however, that individuals cannot currently apply and any application received before the program is implemented risks being denied. “[The] USCIS is not yet accepting applications for parole under this program and individuals should not submit parole requests under this program at this time. People should avoid scams--anyone claiming that applications can be filed now should not be trusted,” Shin Inoyue, a USCIS spokesperson said in a statement. n

ORIGAMI LANTERNS. Lucky Chinatown set a new world record for the largest display of origami lanterns. The dragon shaped display consisted of 19,999 origami lanterns. This was larger than the record set earlier this year by Hong Kong for the largest display of origami horses, which had 11,817 horses. Inquirer.net photo

Drilon: Estrada, Revilla still allowed to run... PAGE A1

rel scam. They are hoping to be released from detention and be allowed to post bail after Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile was allowed to post bail. Last Thursday, Oct. 1 Revilla

revealed his initial plan to run for president. He already expressed intention to run last May. However, due to his current case, he said he is now more focused on clearing his name.

Justice Secretary Leila De Lima also mentioned that Revilla may be allowed to run last June. However, she said the senator must consider his reputation which may affect national interest.

Bongbong Marcos, Leni Robredo announce bids...

PAGE A1 where the wealth divide continually widens. “I have decided to put my political fortune in the hands of the Filipino people. I humbly ask them to judge whether or not I am worthy of their trust to be vice-president on the strength of my performance as a public servant in the last 26 years,” he said. While there have been talks of Marcos pairing up with Vice President Jejomar Binay, he said they were “mere speculations.” Binay was a human rights attorney who battled the dictatorship of Marcos’ late father, former President Ferdinand Marcos. The vice president was also an ally of former President Corazon Aquino, Marcos’ rival. “Any team-up with the Vice

President must be rooted on a shared vision for our country, a common platform of government as well as political perspectives,” Marcos said. The vice presidential candidate did not address allegations of mass corruption and rights violations against his late father, The Associated Press reported. Every year, the Philippines still marks the anniversary of when the Marcos regime was overthrown in 1986 as a victory of democracy. Leni Robredo Robredo, the widow of former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, was initially hesitant about accepting Roxas’ offer, particularly given her three daughters’ opposition to her running for the position. However, she said she decided to move forward with it because she was certain it is what her

husband would have wanted, Inquirer reported. “I am not Jesse. But when he died, it was clear to us, his family, that he was hoping that we too will have to sacrifice to the best of our abilities, similar to his sacrifices, to contribute to our nation,” she told Inquirer. As the sole female running for vice president, the Carminas Sur representative is likely to receive little criticism from her male rivals, Majority floor leader Neptali Gonzales II said in a press conference. “It’s going to be a problem for the men in next year’s elections. In our culture, women are usually spared from criticism by men,” Gonzales said in Filipino, according to Inquirer. Gonzales also called Robredo “a breath of fresh air” for the Liberal Party.

“Nakikita ko sa kaniya yung manner that she speaks, sincere at makikita mo ang kaniyang intelligence (I can see in the manner that she speaks that she is sincere, and you can see her intelligence),” Gonzales said, according to Inquirer. Binay without a running mate With the new announcements and as the 2016 election edges closer, Binay remains the only presidential candidate without a running mate. The selection committee of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) announced Tuesday, Oct. 6, that it is formally requesting for Sen. Gringo Honasan to become Binay’s running mate in 2016, Philstar reported. Honasan rejected a potential partnership with Binay in late September, but his party mates said he would probably change his mind for the UNA, where he serves as vice president, Rappler reported. “Senator Honasan is very easy to talk to because he is a party member,” UNA Secretary-General JV Bautista previously told Rappler. “It just takes some negotiation. In the case of Senator Bongbong, it’s more complicated because he is a member of the Nacionalista Party.” Binay had previously considered Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, Sen. Grace Poe and Roxas as possible running mates, but each of them rejected offers to join him. In August, Binay indicated Marcos was his preferred partner, despite contradictions that would exist given their political histories. Should a Binay-Honasan partnership emerge, it would also contain its own set of discrepancies. Both politicians participated in support of the EDSA People Power Revolution that ousted former president Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, but Honasan led two unsuccessful coups against Aquino; Binay defended Aquino from those attempts. n

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Dateline USa

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCtObeR 9-15, 2015

Gov. Brown signs historic right-to-die bill... Clinton criticizes Obama admin’s deportation policies PAGE A1 carefully weighed the viewpoints of those opposed to and in favor of the right-to-die bill. Among positions he considered were those of two of his former doctors, former classmates, friends, a Catholic bishop and Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Brown also read letters from the family of Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old Californian who was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and moved to Oregon last year to legally end her life. “In the end, I was left to reflect on what I would want in the face of my own death,” Brown wrote. “I do not know what I would do if I were dying in prolonged and excruciating pain. I am certain, however, that it would be a comfort to be able to consider the options afforded by this bill. And I wouldn’t deny that right to others.” California’s End of Life Option Act is modeled after Oregon’s Death With Dignity Act, which was enacted in 1997. It requires that two doctors approve patients’ requests to die, that patients submit several written requests, that patients are physically capable of taking the medication, and that there are two witnesses present, one of whom is not a family member. The act is scheduled to go into effect next year. The act ends 23 years of efforts aimed at legalizing aid in dying in California. Similar measures introduced in 2005, 2006 and 2007 failed in the Legislature. It also follows attempts from at least 24 states that introduced such legislation this year, though the measures stalled elsewhere, according to The Associated Press. Other states that allow doctors to prescribe patients life-ending drugs are Oregon, Montana, Vermont and Washington. Advocates react Proponents of the legislation rejoiced upon learning of the news. The Los Angeles Times reported that the action brought tears of joy to former LAPD Detective Christy O’Donnell, who testified in favor of the new law and was diagnosed with a few months left to live due to lung cancer. “I’m overjoyed for all the terminally ill people in California, who can now relax knowing they finally have the choice of aid in dying as one of their end-of-life options,” said O’Donnell, men-

tioning she does not think she will live to see the day the law is implemented. “No more worrying that they will suffer great physical and emotional pain at the end of their life when they have already suffered painfully for so long as a result of their terminal illnesses.” For other advocates of ABX215, the governor’s signature was a victory that came too late. “I’m sorry it’s taken so long,” Deb Reuter-Zsarko, whose wife Michelle died earlier this year after a six-year battle with vulvar cancer, told the Asian Journal. She also recounted waking up one morning to a pool of blood, and how having the choice the new law provides would have been helpful earlier on. ““People need a choice. She never had a choice in any of this.... [This law] is the right thing to do. And ultimately it comes down to the fact that it’s an option...There’s no one forcing you to do anything,” Reuter-Zsarko said. Compassion & Choices, a group that advocated for the new law, told the Times it hopes other states will follow in California’s footsteps. “This is the biggest victory for the death-with-dignity movement since Oregon passed the nation’s first law two decades ago,” Barbara Coombs Lee, the group’s president, told the publication. “This victory is hugely significant in both substance and scope. Enactment of this law in California means we are providing this option to more than one in 10 Americans. Opponents cite moral and religious reasons Lawmakers who opposed the act included Republicans for moral reasons and Democrats who cited religious views and experiences where family members were given months to live but survived for years, the Times reported. Tim Rosales, a spokesman for a group called Californians Against Assisted Suicide, spoke against the governor’s decision. “This is a dark day for California and the Brown legacy,” Rosales said in a statement. “As someone of wealth and access to the world’s best medical care and doctors, the Governor’s background is very different than that of millions of Californians living in healthcare poverty without that same access – these are the

Eligible CA drivers to get... PAGE A1 All assessed penalties will be waived, and payments can be made in installments, the Sacramento Bee reported. The program also contains provisions that will allow license reinstatement for drivers who lost their license after failing to pay fines or appear in court. “Take a broader look at effective public access to California’s courts, including traffic proceedings and the impact of mandatory and discretionary fines, fees and penalties on court users,” CA Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye said in May to the state’s Judicial Council, which is in charge of making policies in courts. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) had received 4.73 million California license suspension actions from courts, according to report data from this past April. In that time, just under 82,000 licenses were reinstated. California has come under recent criticism for its stiff traffic fines, including add-on fees and assessments that can triple and even quadruple base fines for minor infractions. Minorities and civil rights groups have advocated that the traffic fines disproportionately affect ethnic groups and the poor, and the inability to pay a ticket fine can put lower-income drivers at risk of unemployment. “We think it is going to have a significant impact for folks who have been pushed to the curb,” said Mike Herald, a legislative advocate for the Western Center on Law & Poverty, who supported the program as a solid first step. “They can get out from under this cloud, get their driver’s license back immediately. They’ll be able to buy auto insurance again. Employers will hire people who don’t have a suspended license.” The driver’s amnesty was considered by lawmakers earlier this year, when civil rights and legal aid groups pointed out that over

the past eight years roughly 4.2 million Californians had lost their licenses because they could not afford crippling traffic fees, said LAist. Today, there are 25 million licensed drivers in the state. Many of the huge fees tacked on to traffic fines were added during an earlier budget crisis to help pay for the court system and other programs, according to the Los Angeles Times. For example, base fines of $100 suddenly jumped to $500, and if the driver missed the payment deadline they would then owe $815-much more than many could afford to pay in time. Amnesty (which lasts until March 2017) will cover tickets for most moving violations, such as speeding, red light violations, and failure to stop at a stop sign. It also covers some non-traffic infractions, such as loitering, trespassing, and littering. However, drivers with parking tickets, a DUI, a conviction for reckless driving, or more recent traffic fines are out of luck and not eligible. The program still costs $50 to participate, charged by courts, and the DMV will charge $55 to reinstate a lost driver’s license. A previous state amnesty program in 2012 netted $12.3 million over six months, SacBee reported. Court officials and civil rights advocates say the new program has similar elements that should get more results; however, there are not yet estimates on how many drivers will take advantage of the new program. A bill by Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Los Angeles), SB 405, now sitting on the governor’s desk, would also guarantee that motorists can fight their tickets in court before being required to pay their fines. The amnesty program goes into effect on Thursday, October 1st and will run through to March 31, 2017. (Allyson Escobar/AJPress)

Remembering ‘People’s Dragon’... PAGE A1 dent Corazon “Cory” Aquino in the snap elections in 1986, cofounded MABINI and FLAG with other human rights lawyer, and became member of the American Bar Association and Senior Lawyers Division. Prior to becoming a senator, Arroyo had gone through a long journey of serving the public. He

first became the Executive Secretary in the Aquino cabinet from 1986 to 1992, chair of Philippine National Bank and as Executive Director for the Philippines in the Asian Development Bank from 1986 to1990, and even served as the 1st District of Makati from 1992 to 1998 before he stepped up as a senator in 2001. PAGE A4

people and families potentially hurt by giving doctors the power to prescribe lethal overdoses of patients.” Religious groups, including the Catholic Church and disability rights advocates, also opposed the bill, contending it legalizes premature suicide and puts terminally ill patients at risk for coerced death, the Christian Science Monitor reported. “Today the State of California is making it legal for a doctor to write prescriptions for the express purpose of killing another human being,” Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez said in a statement issued Monday. “This is a new path for the State and we have no idea where it will lead.” “How does the State plan to prevent lethal prescriptions to commit suicide from becoming the only ‘option’ available for the poor? “We should not say to future generations that we responded to human pain and suffering by making it easier for those who suffer to kill themselves. We are a better people than that,” he said. Before the measure passed, the Church addressed Catholic lawmakers and urged Brown to veto it, according to the AP. “Pope Francis invites all of us to create our good society by seeing through the eyes of those who are on the margins, those in need economically, physically, psychologically and socially,” the California Catholic Conference said in a statement after it cleared the state Legislature. “We ask the governor to veto this bill.” (Agnes Constante / AJPress)

IN an interview with the Spanish network Telemundo, Democratic White House contender Hillary Clinton accused the Obama administration of breaking up families through an “aggressive” deportation policy, calling current immigration policies too “harsh.” Her comments echoed longrunning complaints of the immigration advocates, who argue that President Obama’s immigration programs are “overly harsh,” said the Wall Street Journal. “The deportation laws were interpreted and enforced, you know, very aggressively during the last six and a half years, which I think his administration did in part to try to get Republicans to support comprehensive immigration reform,” Clinton

said Monday, Oct. 5 to Telemundo News’s Maria Celeste Arrarás. “It was part of a strategy. I think that strategy is no longer workable.” “So therefore, I think, we have to go back to being a much less harsh and aggressive enforcer,” she added. Beforehand, Clinton has faithfully defended the president, arguing that the deportations that occurred on his watch were not a matter of choice, but were all that he could do within the law, said CBS News. The comments also contradicted a remark Clinton made in 2014 with CNN: “I also think that we have to understand the difficulty that President Obama finds himself in because there are laws that impose certain obligations

on him.” The number of deportations under the Obama administration in the past 12 months has been at a record low for the first time since 2006, The Associated Press reported on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Though more than 2.4 million immigrants have been deported since he took office in 2009, they have declined by 84,000 between 2014 and 2015 -- marking the largest year-over-year decline since 2012. In November 2014, President Obama ordered to prioritize the deportation of people with serious criminal convictions, gang members, and those who have crossed the border recently. The action all but directed that most other undocumented immigrants PAGE A4

The Philippine contingent to the 2015 Asian Junior Figure Skating Challenge. Twenty-one young female figure skaters will be vying for honors in the 2015 Asian Junior Figure Skating Challenge (AJFSC) beginning today at the Festival Walk Glacier in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong. The Filipinas will compete in various divisions including the Elite Junior, Basic Junior, Basic Novice and Basic Juvenile. ManilaTimes.net photo

Dateline USa

october 9-15, 2015 • NorcAL ASIAN JoUrNAL

How bad is California’s drought? Reports of lower water conservation statewide

by Allyson

EscobAr

AJPress

ON the first day of October, water conservation figures for California were released by the State Water Resources Control Board. Impelled by severe drought conditions, residents have been seriously saving water in the last few months of summer. Californians cut water use by 27 percent in August, according to the Associated Press. That’s compared to

August 2013, state regulators announced on Thursday, Oct. 1 The reduction was slightly less than the 31 percent decline in July, but stable with the 27 percent conservation effort made in June--still enough to meet Governor Jerry Brown’s mandatory requirements for at least 25 percent in water cuts, said the Los Angeles Times. “The public response to hitting the conservation targets was re-

ally quite impressive,” said Lester Snow, director of the California Water Foundation, a nonprofit group that helped conduct polls. “That shows a level of engagement on water that we just normally don’t see.” Because Californians have saved so much, water regulators have for the most part been able to avoid levying big fines on local water districts for failing to meet their conservation targets, ranging from 4 to 36 percent, compared with 2013 levels. However, August saw a decrease in water regulations compliance compared with July. The decrease from an exactly 31.4 percent water savings in July to 26.9 (almost 27) percent was “concerning,” officials said. About 72 percent of water suppliers met or were within 1 percentage point of their conservation standard, studies showed. Earlier this week, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that LA cut its water use 17.4 percent, compared with the same month in 2013. The amount was still good enough to eclipse the city’s 16 percent conservation target.

PAGE A3

About 28 percent of urban water providers, however, missed their targets in August, some widely. The worsening drought, now on its fourth year, has brought to light serious issues that could have a “snowball effect” for state residents. For instance, this year’s lack of rain and snow hit California water supplies hard. The Sierra snowpack’s water content measured just 5 percent of normal, while the previous record low was 25 percent. “The snowpack’s sorry condition was what differentiated 2015 from previous years,” said Felicia Marcus, chairwoman of the State Water Resources Control Board. “Snowpack is important because when it melts, it refills the state’s reservoirs during the hot summer months.” Wells ran dry, Water supplies were cut, and some reservoir levels in Lake Shasta, Folsom Lake, and Lake Oroville plummeted far below normal. According to the State Water Resources Control Board, the 2015 water year also saw the highest average temperature in 120 years of record-keeping. Data from the California Climate Tracker recorded the state’s average temperature was 58.4 degrees-over three degrees warmer than average, and almost a full degree

undocumented immigrants, according to Huffington Post. “I think we’ve learned that the Republicans, at least the current crop, are just not acting in good faith,” Clinton said Monday. Clinton also said that she would continue to deport violent people and felons, but said too many “upright, productive people with a minor offense had been hauled in and deported. And I’ve met their wives and their children--and I just don’t believe in that.” To her supporters, Clinton said she would order these changes within her first 100 days in office by directing her Department of Homeland Security to “take a hard look about how we change

Remembering ‘People’s Dragon’... PAGE A1 During his three terms as a congressman for Makati, Arroyo obtained 80-percent of the votes cast in the election that earned him an Outstanding Congressman of the Year and the title “Scrooge of the Congress.”

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warmer than the previous high in 1995-96. The biggest impact of warmer temperatures, reports said, has been that they intensify the effects of drought, increasing evaporation and drying out the nutritious soil. “The character of this drought has been to have record and nearrecord temperatures,” state climatologist Michael L. Anderson told the LA Times. “This drought is definitely warmer than its 20thcentury counterparts. And when you run into that, you have a higher demand for water and a limited supply, so it creates greater stress.” Extremely warm, dry weather conditions have also fueled wildfires throughout the state. In recent months, two highly destructive wildfires raged parts of Northern California. According to federal statistics, a total of 813,163 acres have burned across the whole state in 2015. The lack of precipitation has dried out vegetation, driving fuel moisture to critically low levels. “Four years of such parched conditions have predisposed the vegetation to be explosive, and that’s not exaggerating—it’s explosive,” said Ken Pimlott, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. “The calendar year hasn’t ended

Clinton criticizes Obama admin’s...

could continue living in the US without fear of removal. Obama promised to push for immigration reform early in his presidency, but the legislative battle did not begin in earnest until 2013, after he began his second term. Later, the Senate took up and passed a comprehensive bill, but not before deportation figures were climbing every year under Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the US border security budget surged. Many considered the president’s actions a way to show Republicans that he was serious about enforcement, so they would approve a plan that included a path to citizenship for

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In his senatorial career, he also became remarkable for serving as the lead prosecutor during the impeachment trial of former President and current Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada. Despite playing several roles and contributions in law profes-

yet, and it’s comparing right up there with some of the most devastating fire seasons on record.” There is also much debate from weather experts that Southern California will have an extremely wet winter, due to a strong El Niño weather pattern. The impending storm has prompted water officials to warn people against dropping their guard on the drought. “A wet winter could generate destructive flooding without necessarily replenishing critical aspects of the state’s water supply,” said State Water Resources Control Board Chairwoman Felicia Marcus. “Last year, the El-Niño-willsave-us stories really sank us,” Marcus said. “We are hoping for all of the rain we can safely handle. We can’t know what El Niño will bring.” October 1st also marks the beginning of the “water year,” during which water researchers keep track of precipitation levels and storage, using the first date of the month as a starting point. “California’s strong conservation ethic must continue,” Marcus added. “We’re all learning what we can do and what we can do without. We’re still on the ‘better-safe-than-sorry’ plan… [but] we’re happy to see that Californians are showing that they have what it takes.” n

the way the laws are applied.” Over the past few months, the former secretary of state has worked hard to win the hearts of her Hispanic voters--an important constituency in the Democratic Party. She also repeated her promise to expand upon Obama’s DREAM Act, as well as his earlier attempt to grant temporary relief for eligible undocumented immigrants, and issue work permits to some four million who have been in the US for at least five years and have naturalized or LPR (legal permanent residents) children. Obama’s policies--in the form of executive actions--are now being challenged in court.

“I want to do more on an individual basis by putting more resources, more personnel into the system to try to help as many people as possible get a different status,” Clinton told Arrarás, adding that she would consider additional people for deportation relief who are not currently covered. She also repeated that she would keep fighting to get approval in Congress for an immigration bill that was already tried by Obama. “In the meantime, I’m not gonna be breaking up families,” she said. “I think everybody is entitled to a second chance. I don’t want to see families disrupted, families deported. I want to see comprehensive immigration reform.” (Allyson Escobar/AJPress)

sion and public service, Arroyo remained humble and true to his virtue. His statement of assets, liabilities and net worth says his wealth remained almost the same since he entered the public service in 1986 up to the present. Arroyo gained several awards for his significant contributions, these include the Philippine Bar Association’s Most Distin-

guished Award for Justice as a “man beholden to no one except to his country” and a Senate Resolution 100 enacted in the 8th Congress commending him for his invaluable services to the Filipino people. Arroyo met his Creator late Monday due to heart attack. He passed away at an undisclosed hospital abroad.

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SC to Palace, Congress: Answer lump sum case PH vows to cut carbon emissions by 70% in 2030 by Edu

Punay Philstar.com

MANILA—The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the Palace and Congress to answer allegations of lump sum and discretionary funds in this year’s budget. In session presided over by Associate Justice Arturo Brion, the justices required the executive and legislative branches to comment on the petition for temporary restraining order (TRO) on certain provisions of the 2015 General Appropriations Act (GAA) and special purpose funds (SPF) filed last week by the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa). An insider said the high court gave the respondents 10 days from receipt of notice to comply with the order. In its 30-page petition, Philconsa sought the issuance of a TRO on the implementation of Sections 65, 70 and 73 of the 2015 GAA as well as on special provisions for SPF. Petitioners led by Philconsa president and Leyte 1st district

Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez also asked the high court to order the Commission on Audit (COA) to issue notices of disallowance on all disbursements and releases from the questionable GAA provisions. They also urged the SC to issue show cause order against Congress and Budget Secretary Florencio Abad for “flagrant disobedience, resistance and disregard of the decisions of the Supreme Court in the (Priority Development Assistance Fund and Disbursement Acceleration Program cases).” Sec. 65 of the GAA provides for lump sum appropriations while Sec. 70 defines savings as portions or balances of any unreleased appropriations in the GAA that were not obligated. Sec. 73, on the other hand, contains rules in the realignment of allotment classes and reprioritization of items of appropriations. Philconsa wanted the high court to declare all three provisions unconstitutional.

Petitioners said an examination of the 2015 budget would show “scandalous and unconscionable freight” of more than P424 billion in lump sum appropriations “cleverly embedded” in nine strategic departments and two executive agencies considered “highly vulnerable to the whirligig of transactional, rentseeking and patronage politics.” Petitioners argued that even at this stage, it is not yet too late for the SC to act. Aside from Romualdez, the other petitioners were former senator Francisco Tatad, former budget secretary Benjamin Diokno, former national security adviser Norberto Gonzales and Catholic Archbishops Ramon Arguelles, Fernando Capalla and Romulo de la Cruz. Earlier this month, a group led by former national treasurer Leonor Briones of anti-corruption watchdog Social Watch Philippines filed a similar petition on similar grounds. In that case, the SC also ordered the government to answer the petition.

UN chief nominates COA commissioner to head UN internal oversight office

by agnEs COnstantE AJPress

THE Philippines on Thursday, Oct. 1, conditionally pledged to slash its carbon emissions by 70 percent by 2030, contingent on assistance it receives from the international community. In the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) it submitted Thursday to the United Nations (UN), the Philippines said it would also commit to adaptation measures to help citizens prepare for the repercussions of climate change, including droughts and typhoons. “These initial commitments are anchored on our policy declaration under the Climate Change Law of 2009, as amended in 2012, that the state shall cooperate with the global community in the resolution of climate change issues,” said Climate Change Commission (CCC) Secretary Lucille Sering said in a statement. Carbon reductions will occur in the energy, forestry, industry transport and waste sectors, all of which are the country’s largest sources of carbon emissions. The agricultural sector was excluded from the list despite the fact it is the second largest source of carbon emissions. Reductions will occur while the country maintains a “business as usual scenario” from 2000 to 2030. Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, chair of the CCC, approved the country’s plans, which are slated for implementation after 2020, spokesman Herminio Coloma said in a statement. “As a country highly vulnerable

UNITED Nations Security-General Ban Ki-moon told the General Assembly on Monday, Oct. 5 that he intends to appoint Commission on Audit (COA) Commissioner Heidi Mendoza as the undersecretary-general of the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS). Once the General Assembly gives it formal approval, Mendoza will serve under a five-year nonrenewable term, the UN said in a statement. The OIOS is the internal oversight body of the UN, which assists “the Secretary-General in fulfilling his oversight responsibilities in respect of the resources and staff of the Organization through internal Commission on Audit Commissioner Heidi Mendoza also serves as the external auditor for audit, monitoring, inspection, eval- the Food and Agriculture Organization, World Health Organization and International Labour uation and investigation services.” Organization. Mendoza has been with the COA examination, anti-corruption and ment Bank and was also a memsince 2011 and is the chairperson integrity advocacy. She is also the ber of the board of advisers of of the audit committee on public external auditor for the Food and the Ateneo de Manila University Senate President Franklin Drilon sector auditing standards board. Agriculture Organization, World School of Government, GMA News by ChristinE O. avEndañO As a certified public accoun- Health Organization and Interna- reported. Inquirer.net tant, Mendoza has over 20 years tional Labor Organization. She will replace Canadian CarWITH a net satisfaction rating of service in government, specialBefore the COA, Mendoza man L. Lapointe whose term end- of +42, Senate President Franklin izing in audit, investigation, fraud worked with the Asian Develop- ed in September. (AJPress) Drilon outscored both President

to climate and disaster risks, mitigation measures as presented in the INDC will be pursued in line with sustainable development and a low-emission development that promotes inclusive growth,” the Philippine government’s six-page INDC submission stated. In setting its 70 percent reduction goal, the CCC considered the country’s average population growth of 1.85 percent, its historical gross domestic product rates from 2010 to 2014 and a projected yearly average of 6.5 percent for 2015 to 2010, Inquirer reported. “These reductions in emissions are conditional and will be pursued if sufficient financial resources, technology development and transfer, and capacity building will be made available to the Philippines after the Paris climate talks in December,” Coloma said, according to InterAksyon. Among crucial aspects highlighted in the Philippines’ INDC was for the country to build its resilience and strengthen its “adaptive capacity,” which is the priority. “Our INDC is based on our philosophy of undertaking mitigation as a function of adaptation, therefore, we will still prioritize adaptation measures,” Sering said, according to Philstar. Measures set for implementation to achieve the reduction goal include climate monitoring and observation, and a climate/disaster risk and vulnerability assessment process, Inquirer reported. “Technical inputs and assistance are critical for certain sectors such as grid efficiency improvement, standard development for energy

and water efficiency, cost-effective renewable energy, and alternative or high-efficiency technology for conventional power generation, among others,” the INDC document stated. A 2009 UN summit in Copenhagen set a target of limiting global temperature rises to a maximum of two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. While the goal is still expected to result in increasing droughts and disasters, scientists consider it manageable, according to InterAksyon. Experts say this is an achievable aim if wealthier nations work toward peaking their carbon emissions by 2020, while developing countries do the same by 2030. The Climate Reality Project says the Philippines’ reduction target is a “significant development” for the country, Rappler reported. “Having less than 1 [percent] of the total global carbon emission, this is not only a gargantuan challenge for the government but for all sectors to cooperate and take action,” said the group’s country manager Rodne Galicha, according to Rappler. Since Super Typhoon Yolanda struck the Philippines in 2013, the Philippines has been the epitome of countries prone to the effects of climate change, Inquirer reported. The Philippines ranked fifth under the Climate Risk Index of Germanwatch in the period between 1994 to 2014. More than 130 nations have submitted INDCs to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Sering said.

Drilon is No. 1 in satisfaction Aquino and Vice President Jejomar Binay in the latest Social Weather Station (SWS) survey among the country’s top officials. Drilon’s public satisfaction rating rose by 13 percent in the SWS survey covering Sept. 2-5 from the previous survey in June where he got a +29 public satisfaction rating. It was the highest satisfaction rating that Drilon got since becoming Senate President in 2013. President Aquino’s performance received a 41 percent satisfaction rating compared to his previous rating 30 percent, while Binay’s net satisfaction rating dropped

by nine percentage points to 33 percent from the previous 42 percent. Speaker Feliciano Belmonte and Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno also received a lower net satisfaction rating of +five and +four percent, respectively. Reacting to his record high rating, Drilon thanked the public for their trust and support in his work in the Senate. Drilon said he would try to ensure the work in the Senate will proceed even as the country prepares for the 2016 elections. PAGE A7

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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCtObeR 9-15, 2015

BOC plans advance clearing of OFWs’ balikbayan boxes by EvElyn

Macairan Philstar.com

MANILA—The Bureau of Customs (BOC) wants to clear in advance the packages sent by legitimate overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), doing away with the process of physically examining the balikbayan boxes starting next week. The catch is the OFW must be legitimate and registered with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to avail of the “pre-cleared” program, said Customs Deputy Commis-

sioner Arturo Lachica. If the OWWA is able to submit the list of legitimate OFWs, the program can be implemented starting next week, he added. “We would probably be able to secure the list by next week. It would have to be uploaded to our system, so the names would automatically (appear). The list would let us know who are the legitimate OFWs,” Lachica said, referring to Filipinos working abroad through legitimate manpower channels. The Philippine Statistics Au-

thority said there are about 2.3 million OFWs in mid-2014. Lachica said that once the system is put in place, the balikbayan boxes should be cleared even before these arrive on Philippine soil and should no longer need physical inspection. “The presumption is that it (balikbayan box) is already ok,” he added. To fine-tune the program, the BOC, he said, is also looking into the cases of non-OWWA members and the possibility that the system will be abused.

Cut your entourage, Comelec tells bets THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) will limit the number of companions who can accompany the candidates when they file their certificates of candidacy (COCs) next week. According to Comelec Chair Andres Bautista, the rule is that the candidates must each bring only three companions when they file their COCs from October

12 to 16. As for the candidates’ other companions, particularly their supporters, he said the poll agency would set up a video wall outside the Palacio del Gobernador for them. “The supporters do not need to go inside because they will be able to see the proceedings through the monitors that we will

BIRD PARADISE GOING, GOING, GONE. A 183,000-hectare rainforest in eastern Mindanao, once home to dozens of endangered bird species,

has shrunk due to commercial logging and invasion by settlers, who hack and burn their way to create new farms. Only patches of the be putting up,” Bautista said durforest remain that bird watchers now share with people wielding chainsaws, traps and torches. On a recent trip, a group of birders came ing a briefing. across blue fantails, a writhed hornbill, a rufous-fronted tailorbird, brown tit-babblers and leafbirds in chunks of forest yet to be cut by Asked whether the poll body settlers. Inquirer.net photo could effectively enforce the rule, Bautista admitted that it would be “a challenge.” He hoped that the Comelec could curb the enthusiasm of the by MikE FrialdE petition filed by the Department Philstar.com politicians’ supporters, who usuof Justice opposing the decision ally came in droves when they MANILA—Former President of the Pasay City Regional Trial filed their COCs. (Inquirer.net) and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Court (RTC) allowing Arroyo to Macapagal-Arroyo was elated by post bail. the Court of Appeals (CA) resoluArroyo was charged with election affirming an earlier decision toral sabotage along with former by a Pasay City court allowing her Maguindanao governor Andal explanation by housing officials to post bail in connection with Ampatuan Jr. and former election that the delay in the construction an electoral sabotage case filed officer Lintang Bedol for allegedly staging a 12-0 victory for the Team of the houses had to do with land against her. “She was happy when informed Unity’s senatorial candidates in Former President and now Pampanga Rep. acquisition problems. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Replying to Ejercito’s question of the CA decision,” Arroyo’s law- Maguindanao in the 2007 polls. Former Maguindanao provinon the delay of the construction yer, Ferdinand Topacio, said in a cial administrator Norie Unas, ñez, Isaias Dicdican and Victoria of the houses, lawyer Chito Cruz, text message to The Star. Topacio said the CA’s affirmawho implicated Arroyo in the al- Isabel Paredes. chair of the Housing and Urban The CA said the government Development Coordinating Coun- tion of the grant of bail to the leged poll fraud, died of an illness has a weak case against Arroyo. former leader bolstered their last year. cil, said the challenge was to look Justice Secretary Leila de Lima contention that the case against At least 15 witnesses, including for land for the housing units. Arroyo was a mere fabrication by Unas, were presented during the and the Commission on Elections Land has to be titled hearings on Arroyo’s petition for (Comelec) then headed by Sixto “According to the Commission the Aquino administration. Brillantes Jr. filed the electoral “It was filed with haste to viobail. on Audit, we just cannot develop Pasay City RTC Judge Jesus sabotage case against Arroyo on a piece of land. The land has to be late her constitutional rights and titled, otherwise COA would not in furtherance of the Aquino ad- Mupas has allowed the former Nov. 18, 2011. Arroyo was accused of masterministration’s culture of hate,” he president to post bail after state allow it,” Cruz said. minding fraudulent elections in said. prosecutors failed to prove strong In addition, he said, the NHA 2007 in conspiracy with former In a two-page resolution dated evidence against Arroyo. had to secure permits from govThe CA resolution was penned Comelec chairman Benjamin Abernment agencies like the Depart- Sept. 22, the Special Division of ment of Environment and Natural the appellate court dismissed the by Associate Justices Elihu Yba- alos.

Arroyo elated by CA resolution on bail petition

Less than 1/10 of ‘Yolanda’ houses up by christinE

O. avEndañO

Inquirer.net

LESS than one-tenth of the more than 200,000 houses targeted to be built in communities devastated by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” have been constructed by the government almost two years after the calamity struck the Visayas, rendering millions homeless. The numbers were presented on Monday, Oct. 5 by housing officials to Sen. JV Ejercito, who led a hearing by the Senate committee on planning, housing and resettlement on the government’s rehabilitation efforts, particularly the construction of housing for Yolanda victims. National Housing Administration General Manager Sinforoso Pagunsan said the NHA was targeting to build 205,128 housing units in six regions devastated by the supertyphoon. At present, only 16,544 houses had been completed, while 72,738 houses were under construction, Pagunsan said. He said the 16,544 houses included units that were 75-percent completed as of Sept. 15 but which were expected to be finished by now. He said the 72,738 houses

whose construction were started last year and were ongoing were part of the 92,554 housing units covered by the P26.9 billion released by the Department of Budget and Management. He said the DBM will release another P25.6 billion for next year and this will cover the construction of 87,405 additional housing units. The ongoing construction of over 70,000 houses were in Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Leyte and Tacloban, Eastern Samar, Samar and Biliran, the NHA official said. Depending on budget release In reply to Ejercito’s query on how many houses were expected to be completed by yearend, Pagunsan said they expected about 45,000 housing units. The rest of the 92,554 houses already funded by the DBM will be completed by July next year, Pagunsan added. “The rest of the (construction of) houses will depend on the budget releases,” he said. He said the entire 205,128 targeted houses might be completed in one more year. Ejercito asked the NHA for a monthly update on the construction of the houses. The senator also cited an earlier

Resources, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, and the Department of Science and Technology to make sure the land to be developed was safe for the storm victims. Likewise, Cruz said, the NHA had to seek approval from the local governments to develop the land. Asked later by reporters about the pace of construction, Ejercito acknowledged it was slow but said the NHA should inform the public about the long process involved here.

Drilon is No. 1... PAGE A5 But the Senate president admitted to reporters the difficulty now of ensuring smooth Senate work given that out of the 24 senators, five were vying for vice president, one for president and six are reelectionists. Drilon himself is seeking reelection. Still, he said they managed to get a quorum in every session. Congress goes on recess on Friday

and will be back on Nov. 3. “Our bills on third reading have been passed with a majority vote. We will just continue, will keep on struggling,” Drilon said. In the SWS survey, the Senate also retained its “good” net score and increased by 11 points, from +33 (56 percent satisfied, 23 percent dissatisfied) in June to +44 (63 percent satisfied, 18 percent dissatisfied). The net satisfaction rating of the House of Representatives also improved from +20 (44 percent satis-

fied, 24 percent dissatisfied) to +26 (48 percent satisfied, 23 percent dissatisfied). The Supreme Court declined by five points, to a “moderate” +27 (50 percent satisfied, 23 percent dissatisfied) in this quarter from a “good” +32 (53 percent satisfied, 22 percent dissatisfied) last quarter. The net score of the Cabinet as a whole remained “moderate” at +16 (40 percent satisfied, 23 percent dissatisfied) in the third quarter.

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OpiniOn

Features

Royal rumble

TURNING out to be an even more exciting race than the presidency in next year’s elections is the competition for the second most powerful seat in the country between some of the biggest names in Philippine politics. The vice president’s responsibilities are akin to that of the president’s. This highly coveted position, according to the Office of the Vice President, is guided by objectives such as the pursuit of political stability and economic goals of the country. The vice president is also responsible for the promotion of foreign investments, international trade and diplomatic relations, peace and order, safety and welfare in coordination with law enforcement agencies. And much like the president, the vice president is expected to protect the interest of national constituency. Among those who have already confirmed their bid to be next vice president are Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Camarines Sur Representative Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo. Senator Gregorio Honasan II is expected to join the roster to run alongside Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is gunning for presidency, under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA). Leading the pack is Sen. Escudero, who could be a runaway vice presidential winner if the election was held today. Based on the latest Pulse Asia survey, he topped the list for the most preferred candidates for vice president and would win 23 percent of the votes. In his announcement last Sept. 17, Escudero said that he and running

mate Sen. Grace Poe will establish a “Gobyernong may Puso (Government with a Heart)” that will raise the bar of public service by removing “slow and inefficient” people in the government. He added that by using the national budget as a framework, their administration would prepare a platform for every department to address problems of all sectors. Sen. Marcos declared his bid earlier this week and said he leaves it up to the Filipino people to judge whether he deserves another shot at another position. “I believe that elected officials have an obligation to our people to help change the course of our nation’s history by banishing the politics of personality, which to me is one of the primary causes why our country today has become a soft state where the rich become richer, the poor become poorer, graft and corruption is endemic, the drug menace pervades, injustice is the norm and government incompetence is accepted,” Marcos said. He is currently courting Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to be his running mate. Sen. Cayetano, who is also courting Mayor Duterte to be his running mate, has formally announced his bid for vice presidency.Duterte earlier lauded Cayetano for his “good grasp of practical solutions” for the country’s problems on poverty, poor infrastructure, and lack of inclusive economic growth. While they have yet to formalize a partner-

Editorial

Inquirer.net photo

ship, Cayetano “continues to pray for a president who will take on the challenge of creating genuine change in the lives of Filipino families.” Running under the Magdalo Group, Sen. Trillanes said his decision to run as vice president is a big challenge to widen the scope of his service to the Filipino people. While he expects his bid to be a long shot, Trillanes believes that his mission to uplift the nation, fix the government and help the Filipino people will help him win the race. After her earlier reluctance to seek a higher position, Rep. Robredo finally accepted the administration’s offer to be the vice president of Manuel “Mar” Roxas II under the Liberal Party. While she vowed

to continue the achievements of President Benigno Aquino III’s “Tuwid na Daan (Straight Path)” policy, the unassuming congresswoman said her platform will focus on the poor and disenfranchised. “I offer myself fully especially to those who wear slippers, who are downtrodden and those who are neglected by society,” Robredo said. Based on this preview it is clear that the campaign season leading to next year’s elections will be a grueling journey for both candidates and voters. Although by adopting popular platforms to gain more popularity and votes, seem to be an easy route, even the most accurate polls cannot predict how the race will pan out. For these contenders, the test has just begun. (AJPress)

Who is your VP pick: Robredo, Escudero, Cayetano, Marcos, Trillanes or Honasan? THERE may only be three candidates who have officially declared that they are seeking the highest office in the Philippines, but as of press time, it may be (at least) a six-way fight for the position of vice president for the May 2016 Philippine Elections. The Liberal Party has found a co-pilot for Sec. Mar Roxas in his quest to stir the Philippine government toward “Daang Matuwid”: Cong. Leni Robredo. The reluctant widow of the much beloved DILG Sec. Jesse Robredo has finally embraced her new calling, after getting the blessings of her daughters who were opposed to her running for higher office. The Robredos’ eldest daughter Aika posted a quote on social media that somehow encapsulates why the family decided to heed the calling for Leni to run for VP: “‘It’s impt, Dumbledore said, to fight & fight again, & keep fighting. For only then can evil be kept at bay, though never quite eradicated.’”

Commentary

FRanciSco S. tatad NOT a few are disappointed that President B. S. Aquino has remained untouched despite Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales’ recent move to have the hitherto untouchable Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad investigated and prosecuted, if warranted, for his role in the massive manipulation and misuse of the constitutionally outlawed P150-billion Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP). Morales’ move followed the reported shouting match inside Malacañang’s Yellow Room between Aquino and Abad, whom the former had earlier described in a speech in Cebu City as the “brains” behind his much touted “daang matuwid” (straight path). Abad’s defense could prove lethal to the President. Like the Nazis accused of war crimes at Nuremberg, Abad is now trying to say he was merely following superior orders when he instituted the DAP. He obviously anticipated the day of reckoning and made sure it would be Aquino’s neck, not just his own, on the chopping block. He even made sure that every DAP document which required his approval was signed instead by his faithful undersecretary, Mario Relampagos, on his behalf.

corruption allegaSen. Chiz Escudero, tions against him long time friend of presi- The Fil-Am and his family. dential polls frontrunAs of press time, ner Sen. Grace Poe, Perspective the UNA camp has been on board with has reportedly Poe from the beginning been wooing Sen. and the two are running Gringo Honasan as Independents while to be his running seeking the support of Gel SantoS-ReloS mate. other parties. Sen. Bongbong Marcos has deAs of press time, VP Jejomar Binay – who is running under the United Na- cided to run on his own without a tionalist Alliance (UNA) – is still in a president, although he has reportedly quandary over who will be his running been seeking to be in tandem with mate, after failing to get the “matamis Rodrigo Duterte, if the popular Davao na OO” from Sen. Grace Poe and Sen. City Mayor decides to join the race to Malacanang. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano is another Though it has been much publicized that the Binay-Marcos tandem has VP candidate who has been waiting to been shaping up, the Marcos camp run with Duterte, having announced reportedly decided that it would be to his own VP bid in Davao City, with their candidate’s best political inter- Duterte “almost” endorsing Cayetano est to abandon such option because when in effect he said Cayetano could of Binay’s diminishing approval and beat all other VP bets. Finally, there is Sen. Antonio trust rating in recent polls, following

Trillanes, another VP-wannabe running without a president. This VP race that is getting to be more crowded than the presidential race is something absurd for us Fil-Ams who vote here in the United States. Here in America, the presidential and the vice presidential candidates of each party run and campaign together as a “team”. A vote for one is the vote for the other. When a tandem wins, the president and the VP work together to fulfill their campaign promises to the people, guided by their collective ideological and philosophical rationale in their quest for public office. In contrast, candidates for president and vice president in the Philippines may run together or as independents. The emerging winners for the two top posts of the executive branch of government may come from two opposing parties. Ergo, history has proven time and time again how this set up

has caused the president and the VP to work against each other and not together in performing their duties for the country. I wonder when this will ever change. I hope the Philippine Constitution will be amended so that the president and VP may really work together for the Filipino people; to make this happen, the election laws should mandate that a vote for the president means a vote for the vice president counterpart. In the meantime, who are you inclined to vote for the position of vice president: Leni Robredo, Chiz Escudero, Alan Peter Cayetano, Bongbong Marcos, Antonio Trillanes or Gringo Honasan? *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www. facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos

Will Abad hang with PNoy or will he save himself alone? None of this could completely acquit him, but because of this, PNoy could find himself in a much larger, crocodile-infested swamp. By pinning on Aquino the ultimate responsibility for his unconstitutional brainchild, Abad has made it clear he saves himself instead of sacrificing himself for his political and intellectual ward. The name of the game now is political survival, and he might survive only by abandoning Aquino to his own fate. Sources at the Department of Budget and Management claim that Abad has in his possession a document signed by Aquino, authorizing the various uses of the unconstitutional DAP. Abad could use this now to tell the nation the whole story of how Malacañang used the DAP to bribe Congress in order, among other things, to railroad the impeachment and conviction of then Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, on the basis of eight unverified Articles of Impeachment, which were ultimately reduced to one unimpeachable offense—his inaccurate Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, which under the law he was allowed to correct. Related sources claim that when Abad first asked PNoy to sign the purported DAP document, the latter referred the same for study to Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, who recommended that he not sign it. Despite this, Abad managed to

outsmart Ochoa and get PNoy to sign it, the sources said. This is now the lethal weapon in Abad’s hands. Abad knows he has the advantage and has apparently decided to exploit it; some analysts already see dangerous signs in his body language. One eyewitness has revealed that in PNoy’s recent Malacañang meeting with 20 retired generals, led by former Defense Secretary and AFP Chief of Staff Renato de Villa, Abad made a spectacle of himself by having his arms akimbo (he had his arms bent at the elbows and his hands at his hips) when he spoke to the President. The generals took this as a sign of disrespect for the President and his guests. In that meeting, PNoy wanted to find out why 31 retired senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Coast Guard, the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, reservists and veterans had put out a full-page “Manifesto” in the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Sept. 14, 2015) expressing “apprehension and alarm” over the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro forged between Aquino’s negotiators and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and “opposition to the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, in its original form,” as a byproduct of the FAB and

the CAB. The PDI was also reportedly asked why it did not suppress the anti-Aquino ad. The Manifesto said the implementation of these “crafty agreements” would be “an express trip to the dismemberment of this country’s territory and the creation of a Moro state in Mindanao” as well as the “renewal of organized violence and horrendous destruction of life and property.” It expressed “unsullied support” for the Philconsa petition before the Supreme Court, asking the Court to declare the FAB and the CAB unconstitutional and prevent their hasty implementation. This petition was signed by Philconsa president, Rep. Martin Romualdez, together with Archbishop Ramon Arguelles of Lipa, Archbishop Romulo de la Cruz of Zamboanga and Archbishop Emeritus Fernando Capalla of Davao, former national security adviser Norberto Gonzales and this writer. According to our eyewitness, PNoy tried to suggest that Sen. Ferdinand (Bongbong) Marcos Jr., who has conducted extensive hearings on the proposed BBL, and authored an alternative Senate version of measure to the draft, was responsible for the full-page ad. He was quickly corrected by retired Commodore Liberato Lazo, president of the Kapisanan ng mga Kawal sa Mindanao, who said the ad was an independent, patriotic initiative of the retired flag officers,

and that Bongbong Marcos had nothing at all to do with it. PNoy tried to say something about the Philconsa position, but before he could do so, former Chief of Staff Gen. Dionisio Santiago cut in to say he was a member of Philconsa, and started discussing the contents of the SC petition. PNoy was especially warm to De Villa and to retired Major General Jose C. Magno, former Cencom and Southcom commander, who was also close to the late President Cory Aquino, and the generals found the conversation with PNoy pleasant and fruitful. But what stuck out of the meeting, according to our eyewitness, was Abad’s unusual behavior. They could not remember his exact intervention, but they are not likely to forget an image of his superior (supercilious) posture, said our eyewitness. The apparent danger Abad poses to Aquino is not only legal, but also political. Abad remains one of the leaders of the so-called Hyatt 10, the group of Cabinet and other senior officials who were ousted by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, PNoy’s immediate predecessor, after they had threatened to oust her. Not all of them are still in office, but the bulk of them had become the most powerful members of the Aquino government. They could still stage the same putsch which was aborted under GMA. What happened then? Because of the various scan-

dals that began with the alleged rigging of the 2004 presidential election, compounded by the alleged corrupt transactions involving the “First Gentleman” and some of his adult children, GMA had become so unpopular that at one point former president Corazon Aquino led a number of friendly bishops to ask her to resign. The administration was morally and politically hemorrhaging. To staunch the hemorrhage, the Cabinet decided to intervene. In a meeting led by then Defense Secretary Avelino (Nonong) Cruz, the Cabinet agreed the “First Gentleman” and the Arroyo children should voluntarily exile themselves to some foreign country while the embattled Mrs. Arroyo takes a low public profile and allows the Cabinet to be seen as running the government. But unbeknownst to Arroyo, and many members of the Cabinet, Abad, who was then Secretary of Education, Nonong Cruz and Sen. Franklin Drilon, their chief ally in the Senate, were said to be hatching a move to remove GMA from the presidency altogether This involved invoking Section 11, Article VII of the Constitution. This provides: “Whenever a majority of all the members of the Cabinet transmit to the President of the Senate and to the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge PAGE A9

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Dateline PhiliPPines

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCtObeR 9-15, 2015

Lower income tax bill not yet dead – lawmaker by Paolo

RomeRo and ChRistina mendez Philstar.com

MANILA—The proposal to reduce individual and corporate income taxes is still alive in the House of Representatives despite the lack of support from Malacañang and the Department of Finance (DOF), the principal author of the measure said. Marikina City Rep. Romero Quimbo, chairman of the House committee on ways and means, sought to clarify reports that the chamber had shelved the reform bill adjusting individual and corporate income taxation tiers that remained unchanged since 1997 despite inflation. “We’re just waiting for a real, genuine and credible response from the DOF, their input before we approve the bill in the committee,” Quimbo said in a telephone interview. “There’s still time to pass this.” House leaders earlier said the plenary could not act on the proposal since the committee has yet to endorse it. Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. had said he did not want “electiondriven” reforms but a tax measure that was comprehensive. Quimbo explained that the tax reform effort in the House was in three stages, and Belmonte was totally supportive of the immediate passage of the pending measure, which is the first stage. He said during their meeting in Malacañang with Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, author of the Sen-

PAGE A8

ate version, that President Aquino instructed Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima to give an official position to Congress. He said the figures used by the House panel were taken from the DOF, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and other agencies. “If the DOF decides to dribble the issue, then we’ll be forced to pass the bill in the committee,” Quimbo said, adding Purisima has two weeks to make his response. He said the bill has long been known to the DOF and the BIR, which were asked by the panel sometime ago to give their inputs. The House is expected to pass the proposed P3.002-trillion national budget for 2016 on Friday and go on a break for the filing of certificates of candidacy for next year’s elections. Quimbo said the chamber could vote on the measure on second reading when it resumes session on Nov. 3. Another leader of the chamber said while the bill has the full support of members of the House, Malacañang is exerting pressure not to pass it and not make it an election issue. Under the bill, those earning P180,000 and below a year would be exempt from paying taxes, while those who earn from P180,000 to P500,000 would pay nine percent. Individuals whose yearly income is from P500,000 to P10 mil-

lion would pay 17 percent, while those with more than P10 million annual income will have to pay 30 percent. At present, those earning P500,000 and above are treated the same and are taxed at 30 percent. “There should be higher tax compliance for professionals and entrepreneurs. We can’t sleep on this. The income tax rates are stuck in 1997 levels. That means that whether you are earning P500,000 or P50 million annually, you pay the same tax rate of 30 percent,” Quimbo said. Because of the stagnant rates, he lamented that a soldier currently pays 15 to 20 percent income tax when he or she should only pay five percent, while a new teacher who earns P20,000 has to pay as much as 20 percent income tax. “This is simply not right because the purchasing power of P20,000 now is not the same as before. You won’t be able to buy much with that. Those being hit are high school principals and mid-level managers,” he said. Sen. Francis Escudero scored anew the Aquino administration for its pragmatic stance on lowering the income taxes of fixed income workers when it has underspent about P623 billion since 2011. Escudero noted that the P30 billion, projected by the DOF as losses arising from the proposed income tax rate reduction, is definitely way below the unspent funds floating in government coffers.

Will Abad hang with PNoy...

the powers and duties of his office, the Vice-President shall immediately assume the powers of the office as Acting President. “Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall reassume the powers and duties of his office. Meanwhile, should a majority of all the Members of the Cabinet transmit within five days to the President of the Senate and to the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Congress shall decide the issue. For that purpose, the Congress shall convene, if it is not in session, within forty-eight hours, in accordance with its rules and

without need of call.” The reported plot failed, largely because GMA’s vice president, the broadcaster Noli de Castro, refused to join. They promised him heaven and earth, but De Castro remained loyal to Arroyo and the Constitution. In the case of PNoy’s vice president, Jejomar C. Binay had earlier left the Cabinet, where he used to be in charge of overseas Filipino workers’ concerns and housing, and declared himself the presidential challenger from the opposition. But he has been the object of a two-fisted demolition campaign by the same elements of the former Hyatt 10. This has caused his public trust rating to fall, behind that of the non-performing and untrustworthy PNoy. An alliance between the Abad camp and Binay is completely unlikely, but part of the demolition job aganst Binay is a plan to

fast-track the five-year-old protest at the Presidential Electoral Tribunal by the defeated vice presidential candidate and now LP presidential nominee Mar Roxas, and to have him declared as the real vice presidential winner in 2010. Roxas would then sit as vice president, and led by Abad, the original Hyatt 10 could then invoke the previously quoted Section 11 Article VII of the Constitution against PNoy. Abad’s camp is confident, our sources say, that if there is a move to divide the House, PNoy could expect full support only from Ochoa, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Science and Technology Mario Montejo, who is related to Ochoa by affinity, but that’s all. That, they point out, is how the cookie crumbles. (ManilaTimes. net)

BUDGET OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. Sen. Teofisto “TG” Guingona III, chair of the Senate Finance Subcommittee D, talks to Health Secretary Janette Garin before the start of a hearing on the proposed P125 billion budget of the Department of Health on Tuesday, October 6. The health agency’s budget will be used to subsidize health insurance for the poor, enhance health facilities, hire additional health workers, and fund the country’s public health programs. Senate photo by Alex Nuevaespaña

MILF: Samal captives may be in Sulu by FRanCes

mangosing Inquirer.net

THE Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Tuesday, Oct. 6 expressed the possibility that the four tourists abducted by armed men in Samal Island had been taken to Sulu. “We have received information [that the captives were brought to Sulu] but we cannot 100 percent rely on this information,” MILF vice chair for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar said. “Ang mga kidnappers sa ngayon ay magaling din ang kanilang strategy at marunong. Parang bihasa na sila sa kanilang gagawin na kidnapping. So itong mga expert you know they are good liars,” he added. The editorial of MILF’s website luwaran.com said the captives were brought to Indanan in Sulu by an alleged Abu Sayyaf commander Al-Habsi Misaya or Al-Bahil. “Hindi ko alam ’yung information. Siguro nakita (n’yo) rin sa TV yung pinalubog na banca dun,” Jaafar said. “Presumption kasi … apparently ’yung banca na ginamit dun, isa sa ginamit dun sa pagkuha dun sa Samal Island. Nakita na may banca dun but pinalubog. Isang indication ’yun na very strong na nandun na ’yung kidnap victims, of course, unless

ABDUCTION ON SAMAL ISLAND. Armed men abducted Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall, with Filipino girlfriend Marites Flor (inset photos), and Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad on the Island Garden City of Samal, just off Davao City, on Sept. 21. Photo taken on Sept. 19 shows the Norwegian shipbuilder and caretaker of Oceanview Marina posing beside his newly finished catamaran twin-hull yacht in Barangay Camudmud.

parang diversion,” he added. The hostages remained unsighted based on sources, however. Jaafar said they believed the abduction was staged by Abu Sayyaf Group, which helds its main base in Sulu. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte announced that a suspect on the abduction was arrested. He said he learned the information in a recent briefing held by military authorities. Eastern Mindanao Command

chief Lt. Gen. Aurelio Baladad said they did not have information about the arrest. “Walang report as of now,” he said. He also could not confirm whether the hostages had already been brought to Sulu. “We can’t be sure kung nasa Sulu or hindi. Wala pang inaannounce ang kidnappers. Wala ring demands. Although we have reports but we cannot confirm so continuing pa lang kami dito pagse-search,” he said.

A10 october 9-15, 2015 • NorcAL ASIAN JoUrNAL

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Your Immigration Solution Atty. RobeRt Reeves GReGoRy J. boult And nAncy MilleR APPLYING for naturalization (citizenship) is the final step in the immigration process for many immigrants. While the general requirements to establish eligibility for naturalization appear straight-forward, they often are not. Many naturalization applicants are surprised when their applications are denied. The immigration laws and regulations which control eligibility for naturalization are littered with traps and pitfalls which the unsuspecting applicant may not recognize until it is too late. All applicants for naturalization must establish that they are persons of good moral character during a prescribed period of time prior to submitting their applications (one, three or five years, depending on what grounds one is applying under). While the immigration laws itemize specific acts which preclude an applicant from establishing good moral character, this list is not exclusive – there are many other acts which may hinder or prevent a good moral character finding. In addition, while good moral character must be established for a prescribed period of time prior to submitting an application, acts outside of the prescribed period can be considered in determining an applicant’s good moral character. Many acts that one might not think of as evidencing bad moral character may nevertheless be considered in making a good moral character determination. One such act is the willful failure to pay support for dependents. For instance, it is extremely difficult to establish good moral character when one is not complying with a child support order. Even the failure to support a dependent without an underlying court order can prove problematic. Another act, which is often a surprise to many applicants, is

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 9-15, 2015

Journal Am I eligible to naturalize? This year’s flu vaccine should Avoiding the pitfalls to becoming a US citizen be a better match, says CDC

engaging in an extramarital affair which tended to destroy an existing marriage. This issue often arises when an applicant had a child outside of a prior marriage. Other acts which may result in the delay or the denial of an application for naturalization include the submission of fraudulent or improperly prepared income tax returns. Tax returns often come under scrutiny because individuals file under the incorrect category, claim ineligible dependents, or fail to report all of their earnings. In some instances, even the receipt of public assistance can cause the delay or denial of an application for naturalization. Criminal convictions are often an issue in establishing an applicant’s good moral character. While a disqualifying criminal conviction in the prescribed period of good moral character will automatically render an individual ineligible for naturalization, a disqualifying criminal offense outside of the prescribed period can cause an application for naturalization to be denied. The government is afforded broad discretion to examine otherwise non-disqualifying criminal convictions outside the prescribed period to determine if the underlying facts warrant a favorable finding of good moral character. Therefore, as a result, an analysis of good moral character extends far beyond the prescribed period. These issues may not result in an automatic denial but they must be adequately explained. Other pitfalls and traps also lurk for the unsuspecting applicant. One common example is the Selective Service requirement which directs all male citizens and lawful permanent residents of the United States who are between the ages of eighteen and twenty-six to register with the government. Unfortunately, many lawful permanent residents fail to register. As a result, many of these individuals are compelled to wait until five

years after they turn twenty-six before they are eligible to apply for naturalization. Others may face the daunting, although not impossible, task of legally justifying their failure to register. While certain acts may automatically disqualify an individual from eligibility for naturalization, the government’s very broad discretion spans many acts which most applicants never realize could negatively affect their applications. In order to insure that no unnecessary delays, or a denial, are encountered, each prospective applicant should obtain a clear and thorough understanding of not only the process of applying for naturalization, but also the potential pitfalls and traps which must be avoided to insure the timely success of their application. An experienced and knowledgeable immigration attorney will advise an individual of his or her eligibility for naturalization, identify the prospective pitfalls and traps in the applicant’s case, and determine how to effectively overcome these negative aspects of the case. Of course, the experienced attorney also represents the applicant through all stages of the naturalization process to ensure that his or her legal rights are protected and preserved. While the general requirements to establish eligibility for naturalization may appear straight-forward, prospective applicants must be aware that ‘the devil is in the detail.’ ***

Atty. Reeves has represented clients in numerous landmark immigration cases that have set new policies regarding INS action and immigrants’ rights. His offices are located in Pasadena, Irvine, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Makati City. Telephone: (800) 795-8009 E-mail: immigration@rreeves.com Website: www.rreeves.com. *** The analysis and suggestions offered in this column do not create a lawyer-client relationship and are not a substitute for the personalized representation that is essential to every case. (Advertising Supplement)

County health officials encourage public to get vaccinated early in the season

SAN MATEO, Calif. – The 2015 flu vaccine will be more effective against this year’s strains of flu than last year’s vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Because the flu is unpredictable and the vaccine takes two weeks to become fully effective, San Mateo County health officials urge everyone six months and older to get vaccinated early in the year. It’s never too early to get a flu shot, which can prevent a disease that hospitalizes 200,000 Americans every year. “A flu shot early in the season increases your chances of staying healthy,” said Dr. Scott Morrow, San Mateo County Health Officer. “The flu vaccine is safe and can prevent flu-related illness, hospitalization and even death. It’s the best defense against the flu.” The vaccine keeps you fully protected for about a year, so it’s important to get vaccinated every year.

Announcing Learn about Medicare the 2015 Public open enrollment on Square and October 19 Westlake Library Rosary Crusade AMERICA is at a historic crossroads. Secularists are trying to push God from the public square. They reject His beneficial action up on society. But without God where will our leaders get the wisdom to solve the great problems we face? We must stop the secularist advance and pray to God for help. He will hear us, if we pray through the intercession of His Blessed Mother. That’s why we are launching the 2015 Public Square Rosary Crusade. In the secret of the Rosary, Saint Louis de Montfort said, “Public prayer is far more powerful than private prayer to appease the anger of God and

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HEALTH Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) of San Mateo County in partnership with the Daly City Public Libraries is providing a community presentation to prepare beneficiaries for Medicare’s open enrollment period. Free and open to the public, the presentation is scheduled on Mon., October 19, 1-2 pm, at Westlake Library, 275 Southgate Ave. A state-registered HICAP counselor will lead the presentation and later address questions about changes Medicare beneficiaries may expect in 2016. From October 15 through December 7, 2015, Medicare rolls out new health and prescription drug plans. During the Medicare open enrollment period, beneficiaries

This could be our most groundbreaking story yet. Lloyd LaCuesta, Former Broadcast Journalist Mona Lisa Yuchengco, Magazine Publisher AARP Members

Dahil sa Volunteering resources ng AARP, sina Lloyd at Lisa at iba pang kagaya nila ay makakahanap ng paraan to give back to the community, enriching their own lives and the lives of the many they touch. As a prominent journalist and publisher, Lloyd and Mona Lisa informed audiences around the country. Naniniwala silang sharing is caring, and giving back to the community remains their passion. “When we turned 50, we found that AARP was like a support group with great resources and platforms. Learning about others’ experiences made us realize how connected we are with others.” They continue to reach out further to the children of the U.S. and the Philippines sa pagbibigay ng kanilang oras, experience at educational assistance sa mga batang kaisipan. With AARP’s great variety of Volunteer resources, ikaw rin ay makakahanap ng exciting at fulfilling opportunities to live a fuller life. Visit aarp.org/aapi or call 1-866-805-1986 today.

AARP is a non-profit organization committed to enhancing your life at 50-plus by providing trusted and useful resources to help you stay active, engaged and vibrant. Caregiving • Health & Wellness • Fraud Watch • Volunteer • Life Reimagined

While everyone six months and older should get vaccinated, it is especially important that pregnant women, children younger than five, adults 65 and older, and those with chronic medical conditions, such as heart disease, asthma, and diabetes, get vaccinated. Residents are encouraged to contact their health care provider to get their flu shot. The vaccine is also available at pharmacies, retail stores, and is offered by some employers. For people who do not have a health care provider or insurance, the Health System and community organizations offer free flu vaccine at clinics throughout the county—no appointment, insurance or ID is required. Last year, the County and community partners distributed 7,912 doses of the flu vaccine at 46 clinics. For more information about the flu and where to get your flu shot, visit www.smchealth.org/flu or call (650) 573-3927. n

have the opportunity to: • Review options to save money • Learn how to lower Rx copays in 2016 • Shop around for a plan that better suits current health needs; and • Get help from HICAP of San Mateo County on information about coverage. HICAP is a nonprofit program that provides free, accurate and unbiased information to help beneficiaries make the ideal informed choice on Medicare coverage. HICAP is a statewide program funded by the state and federal governments sponsored by Self-Help for the Elderly for Medicare beneficiaries and their families or representatives.

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Community Journal

OCTOBER 9-15, 2015 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

Mon Cargo celebrates 29th anniversary THE number one and best door-to-door delivery service in the Bay Area, Mon Cargo, is celebrating its 29th year in empowering service to the Filipino kababayans. Committed to excellence and customer satisfaction, their record speaks of what they can do for the Filipino community in the Bay Area. Trusted and proven since 1986, they have shipped more than 400,000 balikbayan boxes. The general cargo customers are handled with the same “white glove” treatment received by all and shipments are handled on a priority basis at economical rates with pride. Mon Cargo is strongly dedicated to serving our kababayans with only the express doorto-door delivery of dutiable and non-dutiable shipments. The company is firmly committed to making Filipinos overseas become closer to their families back in the Philippines. Tracking is also available by calling a Mon Cargo Customer Service Representative. They are able to provide status reports to pinpoint the exact location of your shipments.

The CTV Files Atty. LiLLi B. BAcuLi

Save money and time by making a schedule to pick up your boxes, (no weight or size restrictions). Mon Cargo offers convenient and FREE pick up of boxes, replacement box, strapping and insurance up to $500.00, as well as inexpensive container ship-

Calendar of Events across

ment for returning residents, crating home appliances and furniture, vehicle shipments, and airfare tickets. For inquiries, please visit their website at www.moncargoservices.com or call 1-800-432-4300. (Advertising Supplement)

America

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST-EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS

IT was a crisp October evening and Gilbert went out with his friends for a Halloween pub crawl. They drank, ate candy and cookies, and had an amazing time. The following morning, Gilbert woke up in holding cell. He finds out that he is being charged with “trespassing” and being “under the influence of a controlled substance.” Gilbert has no recollection of what happened, but when he was prompted to “plead guilty” by the public defender, he did so “because it was just a misdemeanor anyway.” Diego, was also out partying on Halloween night. In what must have been a drunken stupor, he grabbed a handful of Snickers bars from a convenience store without paying. At his court hearing for petty theft, he pled guilty to “get it over with” because it “was just a misdemeanor.” Both Gilbert and Diego are lawful permanent residents. They have each just been served with a Notice to Appear by the Department of Homeland Security, and would like to know why they are being deported. The Notice to Appear. The Notice to Appear (NTA) is the charging document issued by an authorized agent of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to noncitizens who the government believes are inadmissible or removable. The NTA is issued to place a noncitizen in

The Metamorphosis

O C TO B E R 1 0

LA Builder Lions Club 25th Anniversary

ErniE D. DELfin

ONE of the most interesting studies in human history is about leaders and leadership. There are many kinds of leaders, as there are groups that are being led. We had leaders like Hitler O C TO B E R 1 5 -1 8 or Bonaparte, but we also have leaders like Mahatma Gandhi or Legionarios del Trabajo in America Triennial Convention Nelson Mandela. We had leaders like Jim Jones (of the Peoples’ The Legionarios del Trabajo in America, Inc. will hold its 18th Triennial Convention, OctoTemple) who poisoned his followber 15-18, 2015, at the Clarion Inn and Suites in Stockton, CA (4219 Waterloo Rd, Stockton, ers in Guyana, but we also had CA 95215). For more information, please contact Cora Gines at (209) 957-0217 / (209) 406leaders like Mother Teresa who 5438, or Elena Gabriel at (209) 598-1436. fed the hungry and took care of O C TO B E R 1 6 -1 8 the dying. We had Abe Lincoln who abolished slavery in the CANA in Galilee Couples Retreat USA, but also had many leaders who owned and traded slaves. The CANA Marriage Renewal Movement will have their 59th couples retreat at the HoliIn the current political scene, an day Inn & Suites, Fullerton, CA (2932 Nutwood Ave Fullerton, CA 92831) on Oct. 16-18. It ultra-liberal President Obama is a 3-day experience designed to revitalize the interpersonal growth of the couple towards came to power from the left to each other and God. Through a particular method of communication and dialogue, they discounterbalance the excesses of a cover their “coupleness” and couple power in a new way. The retreat starts on Friday evening previous right wing conservative with registration and orientation at 6 pm, and ends with the celebration of Eucharist on President Bush. Next year’s US Sunday evening. We request a donation of $300 per couple to cover hotel accommodations, election is another turning point meals and snacks. No one is refused the opportunity to attend the retreat because of lack of where the country will most likely funds, but prior arrangements must be made. Registration is still open, please contact Alain strike a middle ground like what a moderate Republican President or Cecile Graziani (818 421-6505), email cnagraziani@charter.net, or St Lorenzo Ruiz Parish Reagan did during his presidenOffice (909) 595-9545. cy. It will be unpredictable but O C TO B E R 1 7 interesting to see if the Republicans will have their candidate in UNITED LAB-USA 32nd Anniversary the person of a noisy billionaire, The UNITED LAB-USA will celebrate their 32nd Anniversary on Saturday, October 17, Donald Trump, versus the Dem2015 at Royal Garden in Cerritos. The association is headed by Rey Guieb, President. Music ocrats’ first woman candidate will be provided by The Midnight Motion Band. For other questions, please call Felix Belen, Hillary Rodham Clinton. Stay tuned. outgoing president at (626) 839-0736. From time to time, a different UERMMMC - Medical Alumni Association Inaugural Ball kind of a leader appears, someThe University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center - Medical Alumni one who radically turns the world Association of Southern California (UERMMMC - MAASC ), a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporaupside down; like the current Vatican Pontiff, Pope Francis, fittion which participates in many humanitarian projects and medical missions to barangays in tingly honored as the “People’s the Philippines, will hold its Inaugural Ball and Dinner=Dance on October 17, 2015 at the Pope” by Time Magazine. In just Manhattan Beach Marriott (1400 Parkview Avenue; Manhattan Beach, CA 90266). Proceeds over two years, he is radically from the event will benefit underserved areas and families in Lucena, Quezon and District 2 of changing many traditional pracPampanga (Lubao, Sasmuan, Guagua, Floridablanca) who are in need of medical and surgical tices and policies of the Cathocare. The theme of the Inaugural Ball will be “A Black and White Event.” The evening starts at lic Church. The first Pope born 6:00pm. Tickets are $90 per person and are tax deductible; VIP packages ranging from $500 and raised in South America, he and up are also available. For more information, please call Dr. Teri Pastor at 310-707-8480, has already modified or changed Gloria Legaspi at 951-496-0536 and Lucy Babaran at 818-395-9348. We thank our guests and some policies and practices such sponsors for their generous support! as dealing with gays and lesbians, divorce and marriage, or FANHS of Sonoma County Fundraiser event abortion. Giving some delayed In celebration of Filipino American History Month, the Filipino American National Historijustice to many cover-ups in the cal Society of Sonoma County (FANHS) invites you to join us for “Many Voices, One Mesinvestigations of sexual abuse of young men and women by pedosage” at the Veterans Memorial Building, Maple Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA from 12noon to phile priests and clergy is also a 4pm. The event will feature Keynote Speaker will be Dr. Greg Sarris, Professor and Chairman welcome revolution within the of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, FANHS National President Mel Orpilla and the Church. screening of “Delano Meanings: Forgotten Heroes of the United Farm Workers.” For more Trained and ordained as a Jeinformation or tickets, contact Karen Mejia Pennrich (707) 583-4803 or Alicia Viloria Watson at suit, Pope Francis opted to follow (925) 687-3423. the stellar example of St. Francis, a saint honored for exchanging O C TO B E R 2 0 his privileged status as a son of Luncheon gala to honor veterans of the Liberation of the Philippines a wealthy merchant in favor of working and living with the poor, 70th anniversary the lepers and those socially segilippines’ liberation 70 years ago at the Marines Memorial Club, 609 Sutter Street, San regated people in Assisi during Francisco from 11:30am to 2:30pm. Speakers include Former US Amb. to the Philippines and his time. His presence and proJapan Michael Armacost, Ret. Major Gen. Richard Keith of the 11th Airborne Division and nouncements are being watched, especially during his visits to sevarchivist James Zobel from the MacArthur Memorial Museum in Norfolk, Virginia. For tickets, eral countries such as the Philiplog on to https://galaphilippinesoctober20.eventbrite.com or contact Conchita Applegate at pines and just recently the United (415) 218-0290 / email friendsphilscouncil@gmail.com, or Amb. Jim Rosenthal at jrosent333@ States. This came as a powerful aol.com. reminder and challenge to the secular leaders of the world to If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the become catalysts for change in details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com the upliftment of the poor and the marginalized members of their society. In a predominantly Catholic country like the Philippines, it seems criminal when PAGE CJ1 t Rosary Crusade on Saturday, Oc- (415) 342-7009, Oscar Avendano there is a large gap between the Alcall down His mercy, and Holy tober 10, at the Mount of Divine - (925) 922-7491 or Mercy Cruz haves and the have-nots. though the Philippines is a preMother Church, guided by the Mercy, 4255 Sheridan Road, Su- - (510) 908-1669. Holy Ghost has always advocated nol, CA at 12 noon. Coordinated nationally by Tra- dominantly Catholic nation, it is For more information please dition, Family and Property and obvious that the leaders are not public prayer in times of public contact Maria Luisa Mendoza - its America Needs Fatima cam- effective enough to institute real tragedy and suffering.” reforms in the area of social jusJoin the 2015 Public Square (510) 304-4983, Lolit Kintanar - paign. n The Los Angeles Builder Lions Club will celebrate their 25th Anniversary and Annual Outstanding Parents Night on October 10, 2015 at the Almansor Court banquet hall (700 S Almansor St, Alhambra, CA 91801). Music will be provided by The Midnight Motion Band. For further questions, please call Lion Bill Menor (323) 465-0613, Lion Yoli Ramo (213) 3051332, chairpersons or Lion Tita James, co-chair at (818) 203-2325.

Announcing the 2015 Public Square and Rosary…

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 616-4150

‘Just a misdemeanor’ and the threat of deportation a full removal proceeding before an immigration judge, who will determine whether the noncitizen is to be removed or allowed to remain in the United States. A criminal conviction’s negative impact on immigration status. The Record of Conviction (ROC) details an individual’s criminal history – his/her arrest, what s/he plead to, and the final judgment/sentence. The relief(s) available to an individual facing removal/deportation proceedings will depend largely on that individual’s record of conviction. “Just a misdemeanor” can very well get you deported. In our examples, Gilbert and Diego both thought that pleading guilty to a misdemeanor offense would not count for anything. When asked if he was aware of what he is pleading guilty to, Gilbert confesses that he did not. He simply thought that because it was only a misdemeanor and the public defender advised him to plead guilty to get the case dismissed quickly, he agreed. Similarly, when asked why he pled guilty, Diego reveals that he did so because it was only a misdemeanor and he didn’t want to miss any more time at work to deal with his case. He just wanted to get it over with. Lesson number one: If you are a non-citizen, do not plead guilty unless you have a firm grasp of the possible immigration consequences. An individual should act quickly and before pleading to anything in criminal court consult both with a criminal attorney

and with an experienced criminal immigration attorney who handles deportation defense, to mitigate the negative consequences of a criminal conviction to his/her immigration status. Not every criminal conviction will result in deportation and not every deportation proceeding will lead to an order of deportation. Nevertheless, certain commission of crimes and/or convictions will render a non-citizen inadmissible and/or deportable, and will run the risk of being placed in deportation proceedings. It is important to be informed and know your options. An experienced immigration firm or attorney will be able to help you understand what immigration terms mean specific to the regulations, what steps might be taken for your particular case, and the options available to you under the evolving immigration laws. *** Atty. Lilli Berbano Baculi is an associate attorney with Chua Tinsay & Vega, A Professional Legal Corporation (CTV) - a full service law firm with offices in San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento and Philippines. The information presented in this article is for general information only and is not, nor intended to be, formal legal advice nor the formation of an attorney-client relationship. Call or e-mail CTV for an in-person or phone consultation to discuss your particular situation and/or how their services may be retained at (619) 955-6277; (415) 4958088; (916) 449-3923; lbaculi@ctvattys. com. For general information visit www. chuatinsayvega.com.

Leaders come and go, but servant leaders are what our world needs today tice to transform the lives of poor people. (Is that a curse of being a Catholic country, like Mexico and others in South America?). *** Against that aforementioned backdrop about leaders and leadership, I can’t help but pray while I was in the Philippines. Where are the leaders of my country that can effectively transform a poor and corrupt country to become a better and more progressive moral country? What is happening in my homeland now with over 100 million people, there is still so much to desire to make it greater country that she deserves. The current administration of “Daang Matuwid” (Straight Path) or “Kung walang Corrupt, Walang Mahirap” (When there is no corruption, there will be no poverty) sounds good in the media but there are still obvious graft and corruption almost everywhere to this day. Looking up to the heavens, I’ve asked a dozen times: “Quo vadis, Pilipinas?” Every day, a normal intelligent person can smell the politically charged atmosphere as the “unofficial” campaign for national official from the President, VP, 12 senators, congressmen, governors, mayors and council people throughout the country. Almost everyone has an opinion, from the taxi driver to the local market vendor, from students to business people. Government employees, business people and candidates for political office, and their campaign leaders are busy strategizing and realigning their forces that will make them victors and beneficiaries during the May 2016 elections. Accepted as the national pastime like baseball, football or basketball in the US, politics in the Philippines is the greatest pastime, hobby and big business all rolled into one. Money will be flowing from the candidates’ campaign funds to woo the people and literally buy their votes. Millions of pesos will pass hands from the candidates, the haves to the have-nots, thru their campaign leaders down the line. In the political front, there are now three declared candidates for President, Mar Roxas, (Liberal Party) who was “anointed” by Pres. Aquino to succeed him and VP JeJomar Binay (UNA) and Sen. Grace Poe. (We are still waiting if Davao Mayor Rudy Duterte will run). It will be a very interesting and costly election to find out what kind of a leader the Philippines deserves. Roxas may be competent and experienced, but has never had a stellar performance as a government official and has almost no charisma to connect genuinely with the people, that is aggravated by another reputedly “suplada” wife. VP Binay, on the other hand, possesses that very “bakya” or common tao appeal as he can connect with the masa or ordinary people easily, eating with them with bare hands. On the negative side, he and his Binay dynasty have tons of alleged graft and corruption anomalies that have significantly decreased his

popularity especially on the more educated and affluent voters. But his poor and non-critical thinking bobobotantes seems intact, so he still has a good chance to win despite the corrupt image. Poe is a neophyte in the political arena, but due to the masa or star mentality of Filipinos, as an adopted daughter of the popular Fernando Poe and Susan Roces, she has soared into the popularity survey, beating everybody, according to recent polls. The Filipinos’ adulation of the underdog (being an foundling, she was left as a baby in front of a church, not knowing her biological parents coupled with the perception that she is being legally attacked in her residency and citizenship status) is apparently helping her popularity in the surveys. The downside, however, is that she has never ran a company or business, nor held an executive position in the government that many fear she will be only manipulated by many wannabees around her -like her friend Sen. Chiz Escudero, who like Roxas never had an exemplary public service either. The popular Mayor Duterte is a potential candidate because of what he has done to his Davao City that has become progressive and peaceful. Unfortunately, his image as a vigilante and taking rule of law into his hands might prove as a liability if he indeed files his candidacy. With the above choices, there is no exemplary choice, especially if the Filipino people are dreaming of another Ramon Magsaysay, the man of the masses, as the next president. It’s sad that the good die young as RM, the most loved and admired Philippine president, delivered his promise to give more to those who have less in life. Mysteriously tragic, he met his untimely death on March 17, 1957 in a plane crash without finishing his term. Like the Vatican, what the Philippines needs for 2016 is a true servant leader who will truly serve his people, and not just be in Malacanang Palace to enrich him or herself along with his relatives and cronies. A servant leader is one that always has the welfare of the people in his heart and mind; that old fashioned principle of the common good becoming the corner stone of the new administration next year. I am just praying and hoping that a part of the character and traits Pope Francis has be mysteriously transferred onto the next president of my country! *** Email: ernie.delfin@gmail.com Website: www.gkerc.org

Learn about…

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State-registered HICAP volunteer counselors are available for one-on-one confidential meetings with beneficiaries at 28 sites throughout the county. For more information about the presentation or to make an appointment, please call (650) 627-9350. n

Community Journal

(650) 616-4150 • http://www.asianjournal.com

Immigration Corner atty. Michael Gurfinkel, eSQ

you to stay outside the US for almost 2 years at a time. At least you have your green card, and don’t have to worry that laws and circumstances could change, which might void your visa. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and reenactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: (866)—GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES · SAN FRANCISCO · NEW YORK · PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)

Daughter’s petition reclassified when her mother became a US citizen — Is there still hope?

Get the answer and more this Sunday on ‘Citizen Pinoy: Your Tanong, My Sagot’ LEADING US immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel continues to answer Kapamilyas oneon-one and face-to-face, in his Law Offices in Glendale, California. Can my US citizen father petition a daughter from his first marriage, even if he already has another family in the US? I’m a US citizen and married my husband who has been out-of-status since 2004. Can he get a green card in the US even if he was out-of-status for a long time?

Monette AdevA MAglAyA (Part 2 of 3)

VIGAN has pedigree. And tons of character. It was founded 438 years ago in 1572, a half century after Magellan first stumbled onto our shores and made the fatal mistake of messing with the feisty Lapulapu. But I digress and apologize for sounding flippant about history. Vigan’s name is derived from “bigaa”, a tuberous root plant related to the edible “gabi” with big, bright green fronds common to the place. Vigan is the third Spanish city to be built in the Philippines, after the first one in Cebu and the second, in what is now Manila. Once in Vigan, you can take a calesa just for the experience but a hale and hearty visitor equal to the task, can do a walkabout in comfy sandals, shorts and T-shirt, an anahaw fan, a bottle of water, a camera, a cellphone and a wide-brimmed hat. Nearly all the points of interest, are within walking distance of each other: the St. Paul’s Metropolitan Cathedral; Plaza Salcedo; the Burgos House—the best by far in the region—which was also called the Ayala Museum at one point for the family’s role in its preservation; the Archbishop’s Palace; the Crisologo Museum; Plaza Burgos, Syquia Mansion among others. But the core of a visit to Vigan must be focused on the Kamestizoan district, also known as Heritage Village, along Calle Crisologo where one will find the few remaining ancestral houses on a street showing the classic lines of Spanish architecture. On the street level are shops and persuasive sellers peddling souvenirs, local crafts and antiques. Of the goods available, the cotton Ilocano blankets locally woven in simple plaid patterns and in varying thread counts and quality deserve some attention. They are not as collect-

Dr. Val’s Dental Views Dr. Valerie

De leon

HAVE you ever wondered why it’s so important to see us every six months? From oral health maintenance to serious disease prevention, there are a lot of reasons to keep your semi-annual visits on your calendar. Open wide and say “aahhh” So what do we look for when we examine your pearly whites? During typical checkups we examine the overall health of your teeth and gums, looking for signs of tooth decay, gum disease and checking up on the condition of existing dental work. X-rays may also be taken to ensure the health of the roots of your teeth, and to reveal things we cannot see. Once we examine your mouth

Enter the US ASAP with your immigrant visa

the beneficiary enters the US, then the visa is considered automatically void. (Although “huDEAR Attorney Gurfinkel: manitarian revalidation” may be I was petitioned by my US citi- available in such circumstances, zen father, and after waiting for it is very difficult and time conover 15 years, I was finally in- suming to obtain and may not be terviewed and just received my granted.) immigrant visa, which was delivWhat if new laws, cases, or ered by the Embassy’s courier. policy interpretations result in The immigrant visa is valid for a person no longer becoming several months. Would there be eligible for his immigrant visa? a problem if I remain in the Phil- Then all that time and effort ippines for a few more months, were wasted. to wind up my affairs, before I My point is you should not finally go the US? delay coming to the US because Very truly yours, you never know if the laws or S.C. circumstances will change before you enter. You should come Dear S.C.: to the US, obtain your green If a person has been issued an card, and you can literally go immigrant visa, they should de- right back to the Philippines (as part for the US as soon as pos- a green card holder) and finish sible. You never know if circum- up your affairs. If you expect to stances or the law may change, be out of the US for a long time affecting the validity of your (such as to finish studies), you immigrant visa. Even if a ben- can come to America, get your eficiary is issued an immigrant green card, and apply for a revisa, if the petitioner dies before entry permit, which would allow

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 9-15, 2015

What is the fastest way for a US citizen to bring his new wife over to the US? Catch an all-new edition of your informationpacked, award-winning public service program on television – Citizen Pinoy: Your Tanong, My Sagot– on Sunday, October 11 at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers). Also, for latest immigration news and updates, please “like” and “share” our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/gurfinkellaw. (Advertising Supplement)

Bagnet and Vigan empanada, anyone? “Lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.”

— Susan Butler Anderson

ible as the hand-made, colorful Amish quilts that command top dollar but these are blankets that are meant to be used to give one a warm, fuzzy feeling, not unlike Linus’ security blanket, on a hot summer’s day or blustery winter’s night. These pure organic cotton blankets woven the old fashioned way is breathable fabric that loses its form and sheen when washed but sure feels wonderful on the skin after repeated uses. Perhaps only India and other cotton-growing countries have something similar. Burnay pottery in natural or stained earth tone colors has primitive appeal and is perfect for homes and gardens but quite cumbersome to lug around if you’re traveling light. Leave them for the locals instead. Find delight in Ilocano cuisine. Like the people in the region, there is nothing bland or tentative about it. It either grabs that part of the brain that controls your taste buds or not at all. A trip to Vigan is not complete without tasting its famous langgonisa, tiny bite-sized pork links with distinctive vinegar, garlicky taste that puts the kielbasa in the dust. Then there is delicious bagnet, Ilocano chicharon, deep fried pork meat, best eaten with garlic rice, big red tomatoes with pure Sukang Iloko as dipping sauce while other food fanciers use freshly cooked bagnet crushed and sprinkled generously on top of any pancit recipe “to kick it up a notch”, as Emeril would say; chichacorn for snacking, tastes very much like the commercial Boy Bawang brand; crunchy empanada—Vigan style—is not the regular empanada you know and scrumptious okoy prepared fresh and deep fried in black woks in the many tiny food stalls

in Plaza Burgos is something you have to check out while sitting on the park benches as you chow down on your order. You pretend to be oblivious of the townspeople openly gazing at you with wide-eyed curiosity while you fumble in your purse for some chump change, feeling guilty about panhandlers with babies in their arms asking for money or food. Counterbalance all that cholesterol by dipping everything dripping in fat that you put in your mouth in genuine Sukang Iloko much like Drano’s action to clogged plumbing. Or chase it down with jasmine or green tea as the Chinese do after a 10-course lauriat banquet. For added measure, be sure to sweat out all those nasty cloggers with aerobics exercise. If not, eat in moderation following the RULE OF PALM, which the dietary experts say, is to eat only what you can fit in the palm of one hand. Sigh … You can dine alfresco on a moonlit night at Café Leona. The café is named after Leona Florentino, the creative dame who lived centuries ahead of her time. She has the distinction of being a noted poetess, the product of an educated, illustrious family headed by Isabelo delos Reyes, with a verifiable claim to being a distant relative of Jose Rizal. Her statue with a sprig of laurel on her head and garbed in native “saya” sits pensively in front of Max’s Restaurant. The famous fried chicken restaurant which has gone global following the hordes of Filipinos who have left the country for greener pastures, is housed in a modern, stylized version of a Vigan House right down to the capiz windows—a deliber-

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Your regularly scheduled visits are about more than clean teeth and teeth, it’s cleaning time. We do so by: • Doing an overall cleanliness check • Removing plaque and tartar • Polishing your teeth • Flossing between your teeth. After your teeth are cleaned, we’ll talk about recommendations for keeping your teeth and gums healthy until your next regular visit. Thinking outside the mouth While a clean and vibrant smile is a definite confidence booster, it can also promote sound overall health. Bacteria from untreated gum disease can spread to other parts of the body and increase the risk of heart disease and other serious conditions. We can also spot warning signs of other conditions. Things such

as vitamin deficiencies, osteoporosis and even diabetes can present symptoms in our mouths. The best offense is a good defense Regular dental visits not only keep our teeth and gums clean but they can help prevent against more serious issues. Here’s a few tips to keep your smile healthy between checkups: Please visit this link: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=eJ5m4y8ael0 to view the “ Top 10 Dental Health Tips: Oral Hygiene. We care about your whole body health Our practice is focused on the latest treatments to create healthy and resilient smiles. In addition to helping your smile look and feel its best, we’re committed to

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CAN A DAUGHTER IMMIGRATE SOONER IF HER MOTHER NATURALIZED AND HER PETITION WAS RECLASSIFIED? THIS QUESTION AND MORE WILL BE ANSWERED THIS SUNDAY! Leading US immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel answers this question from Louise (top left). Ramon (top right) asks what is the fastest way he can be with his wife, and Kristine (center bottom photo) asks if her husband can get his green card in the US despite being out-of-status for a long time. Get answers to these questions and more, on a brand new episode of the information-packed, award-winning public service program — “Citizen Pinoy,” this Sunday, October 11 at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).

OCTOBER 9-15, 2015 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

PeoPle & events

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First Annual 100-mile ‘Links for Humanity’ bike ride takes aim at racism SAN JOSE, Calif. – The first nity programs that provide for annual “Links for Humanity” underprivileged youth. “The support we’ve received bike ride will take place this year on Oct. 17, stretching 100 miles to make this project a reality has along Highway 1 from Carmel solidified my belief that we’re not to Cambria, to raise awareness the only people who feel that racaround racial unity. Riders will ism’s role in our society is unacinclude founder Alan Whitsett ceptable,” said Whitsett. “Rather and 12 other riders, an ethnically than argue or debate about it, diverse group representing every this team of racially diverse riders is going to make a statement continent. Using bike-mounted, hand- about what we can accomplish held and drone cameras, a team when we work together toward a of videographers will document common goal.” Since its conception just over the ride in hopes of raising awareness of racism and commitment two months ago, “Links for HuThe Filipino Ministry Consultative Board (FMCB) and Advisors: (L-R) Deacon Ven Garcia, Fr. Ray Reyes, Loy Banez, Peter Chan, Estrelle Chan, to social unity, and spark interest manity” has received support Freda Motak, Estelle Oloresisimo, Fr. Eugene Tungol, Richie Almendrala, Fr. Arnold Zamora and Fr. Francis Garbo. Not included in the photo in participating in future rides from local community leaders, are Edgar Estonina, Nellie Hizon and Deacon Nestor Fernandez. universities, charities and busiaround the country. Whitsett is planning to cover nesses such as Eyenoo, Garmin, logistical costs of this first ride El Paseo Limousines (San Jose), with a crowdfunding campaign. and Summit Bicycles (Los GaNext year, “Links for Humanity” tos). The Links for Humanity story aims to expand participation to After Whitsett cycled with his 250 riders. The long-term goal THE Filipino Ministry Con- this month, and the topic of the nity leaders in the Archdiocese of is to create a nonprofit organi- club one Saturday, a discussion sultative Board (FMCB) and Ordinary General Assembly of San Francisco. zation that funds educational emerged that set in motion this The FMCB will publish a souAdvisors are gearing up for the the Synod of Bishops to convene programs focused on racial sen- project. He realized that a pace venir program book in conjunccelebration of the 5th Annual in Vatican in October 2015. sitivity, and implement opportu- line in a cycling group literally Five hundred guests repre- tion with the 5th Gala. If interestFilipino Catholic Ministry Gala, scheduled on Sunday, October senting various parishes and or- ed in attending the event and/or 18, at the Patron’s Hall of the ganizations in the Archdiocese of placing an ad in the souvenir proCathedral of St. Mary of the As- San Francisco, along with civic gram book, please contact the sumption. The theme of this and community leaders, are ex- following: Estelle Oloresisimo at year’s event is the Mission of pected to attend this event. Now estelle.oloresisimo@gmail.com / JOCELYN M. Morales of San Jose, CA the Family in the Church and on its fifth year, the FMCB con- (415) 595-9248, Edgar Estonina passed away on October 2, 2015. She the Modern World, which fo- tinues to expand its programs at eestonina@comcast.com / was loved by many and made friends cuses on the pivotal role a lov- and services to the community. (415) 370-9879, Freda Motak at wherever she went. She had a bright ing marriage and family plays in The annual Gala dinner-dance fredamotak@gmail.com / (415) smile, one that could fill a room with today’s contemporary society. helps raise funds for FMCB’s 335.5606, Loy Bañez at loy@ warmth. She had a sense of humor and This is also the theme of the various community initiatives epiphanysf.com / (415) 333an infectious laugh that was adored by “World Meeting of Families” to and promotes fellowship among 7630; Estrelle & Peter Chan at everyone. take place in Philadelphia dur- Filipino-American parishioners, soler35jade@gmail.com/ (415) She is survived by her daughters Jening Pope Francis’ US visit later clergy, religious, lay and commu- 575-0828. n nifer, Melissa, Marlene and son-in-law Donn Fernandez and granddaughter Ileana Eden Fernandez. Also, survived by her siblings Linda Famini, Tita Famini, Melanie Hernandez, and Tomy Morido. A one-day viewing will be held at Our Lady of Refuge, 2165 Lucretia Ave, San The trees will be shipped postTHE Arbor Day Foundation to environmental stewardship Jose, CA 95122 on Thursday, October paid between Nov. 1 and Dec. will brighten up your fall by of- through tree planting. 8, from 2:30pm – 5:30pm. The service “Crapemyrtles are especially 10, at the right time for planting. fering five free crapemyrtle trees mass will start at 5:30pm. After the seror other trees selected for your beautiful in the fall and were se- The 6- to 12-inch trees are guarvice, she will be brought home to the area when you join the Founda- lected for this campaign because anteed to grow or they will be Philippines where she will join her parof their elegant color and form,” replaced free of charge. Planting tion in October. ents Juanita and Agapito Morido and The free trees are part of the said Matt Harris, chief executive instructions are enclosed with her husband Melecio Morales. n nonprofit Arbor Day Founda- of the Arbor Day Foundation. each shipment of trees. New members of the Arbor tion’s Trees for America cam- Crapemyrtles make an attractive paign, a program dedicated addition to the home landscape.” Day Foundation also receive The Tree Book, which includes information about tree planting PAGE CJ3 t and new worlds. and care. Of course, you can find the ate effort to blend in with the To receive the free crapemyr- Vigan character— but more omnipresent erie de Leon at (650) 697–9000 or visit MacDonald’s, PAGE CJ3 t your overall health. We want to our website at www.millbraesmiles.com. tle trees, send a $10 member- than likely, in compliance with Jollibee’s, Greenwich Pizza and make sure you’re as healthy as She is with Millbrae Smile Center located at ship contribution to Five Crape- a mandated city ordinance. For a few well-known restaurant 15 El Camino Real, Millbrae 94030. She is a myrtles, Arbor Day Foundation, those leery of leaving the tech chain branches that jockey for possible when you visit us! Thank you for being our valued member of American Academy of Cosmetic 100 Arbor Ave., Nebraska City, world for protracted periods of position and market share in Dentistry, Academy of Laser Dentistry, NE 68410, by October 31, 2015, time, it is comforting to know Vigan. Many visitors with less patient and friend! ADA, CDA and SMCDS. Please call for a free or join online at arborday.org/ that Max’s Vigan is a wi-fi zone, than adventurous taste buds *** (Advertising Supplement) october. n If you have questions, pls call Dr. Val- consultation. combining the best of the old and a hankering for what’s safe

Filipino Ministry honors the mission of the family in the Church and the Modern World on Oct. 18

and metaphorically illustrated his thoughts against racism. In a pace line, riders must rely on and trust each other. It takes a tremendous amount of concentration to maintain a safe gap with the person in front of you and ride steadily, so that the person behind you can do the same. If you are troubled by irrelevant details such as the color of a rider’s legs, you become a liability to others. “In a pace line, riders work together as one living, breathing entity with a single purpose: to get to the finish line together. This chain is the metaphor behind “Links for Humanity.” The pace line rides like a chain with interdependent links to achieve a common goal, much like the links in the chain that propel our bicycles. Like the links in the chain of humanity, if that chain is broken, everyone suffers,” continued Whitsett. For more information about Links for Humanity go to http:// linksforhumanity.org. n

Jocelyn M. Morales, 67

Enjoy the beauty of fall; join the Arbor Day Foundation in October and receive five free crapemyrtle trees

Bagnet and Vigan empanada…

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and familiar, can simply go to these restaurants for predictable, affordable fastfood fare and come out happy. (To be continued) *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

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The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - October 9, 2015

Project PEARLS: Giving hope and a bright future to the poor children in the Philippines by Malou liwanag-Bledsoe/AJPress

THE Philippines is considered a developing country, with its economic growth and boom in certain industries. However, these boom and bust cycles has little impact on reducing poverty in the country. In fact, the Asian Development Bank has said that, “poverty and inequality in the Philippines remains a challenge.” There is a great divide and inequality across income brackets. With the country’s differing regions and sectors, as well as unmanaged population growth, poverty reduction in the Philippines has been slow. The most affected are the children. Having nothing to eat, no safe shelter, no access to health care and education, these young people grow up just like how they lived—being poor. This adds on to the problem, making it near impossible to reduce the rate of poverty. Aiming to protect and provide the basic human rights of the poorest of the poor chil-

dren in the Philippines, Project PEARLS (Peace, Education, Aspiration, Respect, Love and Smiles) came to happen. In 2008, Melissa Villa and her daughter, Francesca (who are based in San Jose, California), started a humble project to help a deaf and mute childhood friend, who was living in the Manila’s slums. They helped her send her two children to school. Two years later, Manilabased Belgian photojournalist Sidney Snoeck posted on Facebook a photo of a child worker in Ulingan who was coated with soot and dirt from head to toe. Located in Tondo, Manila, Ulingan—the Filipino word for “charcoal factory”—is a small community in a reclaimed area of Manila’s North Harbor. The families living there worked to produce charcoal to sell and only earn a meager $2 a day. Apart from that, the living and working conditions in Ulingan is unsanitary and inhabitable. From that photo, Villa, who

Project PEARLS volunteers celebrating their 5th Anniversary.

is Project PEARLS’ Executive Director and Founder, knew she had to do something for those children. The two kids they sent to school then grew to at least 300 children being fed and taught every week, and to more than 300 scholars from preschool to college. With its mission to feed, educate, advocate and work for the basic human rights of the Filipino children living in poverty, Project PEARLS became their responsible voice. Their main goal is to help the children get out of poverty to enable them to achieve their dreams. “We believe that education (and literacy) will break that vicious cycle of poverty,” said Villa. “We offer scholarships from preschool to college; we run after school programs, summer programs, literacy clubs both for the youth and the adults. We open educational opportunities for them to make them realize that their hopes and dreams of getting out of poverty are possible through education.”

She also shared that the first community they adopted in Tondo, Manila was recently relocated. Through Project PEARLS, the people were able to understand what were written in the proposal and agreement drafted by the government. “We helped this community by becoming their eyes, ears and voice; because most of them are illiterate,” Villa said. Starting with only ten volunteers, Project PEARLS grew in numbers—with almost a hundred at present. They also adopted another community in Tondo, the Helping Land, but still continue to help the Ulingan families in their new location. At present, Project PEARLS’ current programs include the Daily Soup Kitchen, Scholarship Program, Sunday After School Program, Brain Booster, Literacy Clubs, Birthday Program, and their Medical & Dental Mission. “Future programs include expansion of our After School Program from once a week to daily and sustainable livelihood

Project PEARLS Founder and Executive Director Melissa at Ulingan, the slum community in Tondo that is engulfed in toxic smoke from the charcoal pits around the community. Melissa usually takes the children away from the pits and brings them to the day care center that Project PEARLS built.

Volunteer Peach with the children showing off their arts and crafts they made during Brain Booster Program. Photos by Sidney Snoeck

programs,” shared Villa and then added, “We also would like to bring Project PEARLS in the rural part of the Philippines.” Although Project PEARLS have managed to get grants and donations from foundations and individuals, Villa admits that one major challenge is their funding. “We have grown over the five years since we established in terms of the children and communities we are serving and the number of outreach programs we hold. Our funding and resources are still very limited,” she said. “Because of these limitations, not all of our scholars have sponsors; we can only feed a few hundreds of children; we cannot help all the children with urgent and emergency health cases.” With this in mind, Villa would like to impart a message on helping others: “We are all blessed and privileged to be in the US and living that Ameri-

can Dream. And we can still help the least [fortunate] back home in the Philippines. These poorest of the poor children and communities do not have the same welfare benefits that the poor have here. There are children from these poorest communities who are already working so none of their family members will die of starvation overnight. We can all make a difference; we can all try to live simply so others can simply live.” To help, volunteer, share, advocate, please check their website at www.projectpearls. org and follow them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/projectpearls1 and Instagram @ projectpearls. Project Pearls was registered with the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission in 2011, as a non-stock, non-profit, and non-partisan organization and is a non-profit 5010 (c) (3) organization.

entertainment SF3 The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE – October 9, 2015

Not glorifying mistresses by Pablo

a. Tariman Philstar.com

MANILA—If there is one thing that direk Chito Roño learned after doing Etiquette for Mistresses, it is the fact that he can’t judge people solely on the basis of how society perceives them. “I avoided moralizing in my film,” he said. “Of course, we know what morality is and how it works in our society. I would say my latest film is about living and loving, and not about mistresses. It is more about women’s choices and how they cope in a world they don’t exactly relish. No, we are not about to glorify them. But they are just as human as the rest of us and that’s how I treated them. I didn’t treat them like characters in a soap opera. I treated them as strong women capable of deciding for themselves. Because whether we like it or not, they exist. They are part of society and part of a culture that doesn’t recognize divorce. But mind you, they exist since time immemorial not just in our country but all over the world.” Indeed, the subject is common knowledge among European monarchs, the most famous of whom during the time of Louis XV was Madam de Pompadour. There is a Eugene Delacroix 1825 painting titled Louis d’Orléans Showing His Mistress. Fact or fiction, some socalled mistresses in Philippine society reportedly wielded so much power. Their omnipresence in this predominantly Roman Catholic country resulted in a book called Etiquette for Mistresses penned by newshen Jullie Yap Daza. The book, in fact, inspired the latest Chito Roño film. Among some Emily Postlike tips and pieces of advice in the Daza book are: 1. Remind the husband to pay for everything in cash—dinner, flowers, perfume, cham-

Direk Chito Roño (third from right) with the cast of Etiquette for Mistresses (from left) Cheena Crab, Kim Chiu, Claudine Barretto, Kris Aquino and Iza Calzado.

pagne, pearls, diamonds, a microwave oven, etc. 2. Mistresses should be ready to give up Valentine’s Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Holy Week and his birthday (that’s why mistresses are also called “holiday orphans” because of this). 3. When the husband breaks a date, charge it to fate, not his fecklessness. (Men will be boys. They will forget to call. They will break a date at the last minute. They will stand you up. They won’t explain and they won’t ask for forgiveness. But don’t cry nor throw a tantrum. Don’t break down because a mistress is supposed to understand a man more than his wife does). According to direk Chito, he made sure that these socalled “other women” are treated not just as subjects for social scandals, but as victims of social circumstance. He pointed out: “Almost always, they figure in dramatic moments when they are caught by the wife. But the logic and nature of their existence are so different from others. I want to say in my film that they—being what they are—are still capable of empowering themselves. I refuse to see them as helpless human beings destined to be secretly ostracized by society.” The members of the cast knew exactly what kind of act-

ing direk Chito wanted in the film. Iza Calzado said her role is difficult because it is hard to be really strong in real life. “Direk Chito says the character has to be strong and I have to avoid those soft expressions in my eyes that is a trademark of my romantic films. ‘Walang pabebe dito.’ My court scenes demand that I look businesslike. I am supposed to be the most logical thinker in the group so I have to make sure I don’t register unnecessary emotion.” For Kim Chiu, she realized that she had to get rid of her teleserye school of acting to be the strong character direk Chito wants her to be. “It is hard, of course, because I am used to that kind of acting. But direk Chito allowed me to work on something that is good for cinema. I am glad I did this picture because I realized there are other ways of approaching a role. After doing the film, I developed high respect for my character who happens to be a lounge entertainer. I will always remember direk Chito for this eye-opener.” The director likes to think about his film as case studies in relationships. The subject rubbed off on Kris Aquino who openly told the media that she herself went through a lot in some of those Continued on Page SF4

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celebrityworld The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - October 9, 2015

celebrity world By Ferdie Villar EVEN in the past, the entertainment industry has played a big role in Philippine politics. Apart from the artists that perform during the campaign season and the one who actually won (actor Joseph “Erap” Estrada who became a mayor, senator, vice president and then president—and is now again the mayor of Manila; and many more), endorsements from big stars also a positive factor for many candidates. Of course, there’s Megastar Sharon Cuneta who is married to Sen. Francis Pangilinan, veteran actress Helen Gamboa who is the better half of Sen. Tito Sotto, and actress Heart Evanglista, now wife of vice presidential aspirant Chiz Escudero. As for the Philippines’ one and only Superstar Nora

Aunor—fondly called Ate Guy—she said that she is supporting the candidacy of Sen. Grace Poe. Aside from her respect for veteran actress Susan Roces and the late King of Action Movies Fernando Poe Jr., Nora said that she feels the sincerity of Sen. Poe’s desire to serve the Filipino people. “Iba talaga kapag babae na may puso na marunong at madaling lapitan. Sigurado ako diyan na malaki ang maitutulong niya sa ating mga kababayan,” she said and then added, “Totoo ‘yan. Lalo na yung mga problemang nangyayari ngayon.” In other things, Ate Guy is also hoping that she will get that throat operation that she badly needs soon. According to her, the reason it hasn’t

Nora Aunor supports Grace Poe’s presidential bid, still saving up for throat operation

The Philippines’ one and only Superstar Nora Auor recently announced that she is supporting Sen. Grace Poe in her bid for the presidency. La Aunor also shared that she is still saving up for her much needed throat operation.

The King of Talk Boy Abunda has promised to help Superstar Nora Aunor in some of the costs for her throat operation. It is a well-known fact that Abunda is a longtime fan of La Aunor.

happened is because she is still saving up for the cost of the procedure. In her interview with Pep. ph, Nora shared that TV talk show hosts Boy Abunda and Kris Aquino promised to help her with the costs during her guest appearance in their show,

Daly City’s Saint Andrews Church’s Children Choral singing group recently held their picnic at the park at Cull Canyon Recreation Area in Castro Valley. Shown in photo are the Padilla, Hill, Mansano and Reldan families, among others.

The Queen of All Media Kris Aquino is one of the stars of Star Cinema’s latest film offering, “Etiquette for Mistresses.”

Actress Claudine Barretto returns to the big screen via “Etiquette for Mistresses.” The movie is based on a book written by columnist Julie Yap Daza and directed by Chito Rono.

Aquino & Abunda Tonight. “Nakatulong si Kuya Boy ng malaki. Kaya lang, sabi ko nga sa ‘yo, hindi pa yung sapat... Nag-aano pa ako kasi malaki talaga...milyon.” The Superstar continued to explain the costs apart from the procedure including hotel accommodation and therapy. “Unang-una, pagdating mo dun, siyempre mag-aano ka ng hotel, wala ka naman bahay sa Boston. ‘Yung hospital na pagdarausan ng pagpapagamot, walking distance lang dun sa hotel. Mag-i-stay ka dun, mga ilang linggo rin yun,” she said. Apart from that, she will have to go to New York for therapy, which can be weeks, or even months. She also clarified that she got nothing from Kris, and she is not expecting anything from her. “May mga salita naman kasi na minsan hindi naman

natutupad,” Nora said and then added, “Pero hindi ako umasa dun.” *** The movie Etiquette for Mistresses is doing well in the box-office in the Philippines, London and here in the United States. What some may have thought to be morally degrading for women, turned out to be a story of lessons and choices in life. Based on writer/columnist Julie Yap Daza’s book, Etiquette tells the story of five women—played by Claudine Barretto, Iza Calzado, Kim Chiu, Cheena Crab and Kris Aquino— describing that although they have chosen a morally questionable lifestyle, it is always for love and not the money. Director Chito Rono successfully juggled five stories to make it cohesive. As much as people may judge it based on its title, the film is actually

Sharing the screen with Kris Aquino, Kim Chiu, Cheena Crab and Claudine Barretto in “Etiquette for Mistresses” is actress Iza Calzado.

Former Bayanihan dancer Cely Carbonell presented the Sayaw sa Palayok at the Filipino weekly dance time party at Elks Club in South San Francisco recently.

a refreshing change amidst the countless films about infidelity. Etiquette for Mistresses is now showing here in the Bay Area so check Star Cinema’s website for schedule and location.

MTRCB summons ‘It’s Showtime’ over ‘Pastillas Girl’ segment by Joyce Jimenez Philstar.com

MANILA—The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) will have a dialogue with It’s Showtime executives to discuss the “Nasaan Ka, Mr. Pastillas” segment of the ABS-CBN noontime variety show. On Monday, Oct. 5, the board posted on their Twitter account the copy of the letter sent to the show’s executives dated Oct. 1. The letter said that the board was “impelled to invite your authorized representatives for the program ‘It’s Showtime’ to a dialogue with the Special Sub-Committee of our Gender And Development (GAD) Committee.” This was after they received a complaint from party-list Gabriela and “some feedback

Movie and Television Review and Classification Board will discuss with “It’s Showtime” executives the Pastillas Girl segment of the show after the board has received complaints about the segment. Screengrab courtesy of ABS-CBN

from the general public” regarding the show’s segment. The said segment features Angelica Yap, popularly known as Pastillas Girl, being paired with different guys, similar to on-air reality dating shows. The dialogue will happen on October 13, Tuesday, 10

Not glorifying... From Page SF3 relationships and waged a good fight for the men she loved. Sadly, she admitted, those were not meant to be and she has paid for those ill-advised relationships three times over and is still paying for it. She talked of the long and tedious process of annulment and separation, and of washing dirty linen in public.

“The details of that separation are all part of court records for everyone to see,” she wearily recalled. With this blunt admission, one saw mild shock registering in the faces of her co-stars Kim, Iza and Claudine Barretto. As for direk Chito, he was glad to have wrapped up the project. “I would not have

a.m. at the MTRCB conference room in Quezon City. This is not the first time that the show has been summoned by MTRCB. In 2014, the board has called the attention of the show due to the “armpit humor” by Vice Ganda.

treated mistresses the way I perceived them, say, 15 years ago. I tell you this is a woman’s movie and wives can learn a lot from the characters.” Agree or not, one left the presscon with the voice of Lani Misalucha reverberating in my mind and enunciating thus: “You don’t own me, I’m not just one of your many toys / You don’t own me, don’t say I can’t go with other boys.”

San FranciSco By Monet

Mul Tayoba: A man with great fashion and moral sense

“I’ve known a couple of great men in my community. I’ve seen how they passionately worked towards making this world a better place. I admire them, but most of all; I share in their vision. I was blessed to have worked with – and became good friends with one of these great men. And with reverence, I introduce to you, my wonderful friend and 2015 Beautiful Life Celebration’s Most Distinguished Fashion Designer.” – Mr. Mul Tayoba Everybody knows Mul Tayoba as a man of great talent: He is an accomplished Couture Mul Tayoba Designer, was a Licensed Civil Engineer and a Development that helped implement various Planning Officer in the Philipprograms and infrastructure pines. But not most people know projects in his homeland. Mul how good-natured this man is. was also the President of Fil-Am Today, I want this piece to highAssociation of SCV in 2010 and a light how much moral sense this Board of Trustee in 2013 where man possesses – even as great he initiated programs and projas his fashion sense. ects that are geared towards the I’ve known Mul for more Senior community. than a decade. We share a very He is actively involved in complementary working relation- his Parish Church, the Filipino ship. He designs gowns and eve- Ministry’s activities and events ning dresses, while I take care of in Santa Clarita and a member the hair and makeup. We share a of the Planning Committee for similar taste in style and fashion, Archdiocese of Los Angeles which also makes our friendship Simbang Gabi 2015. “mutually beneficial.” But more When I asked him to tell me than the professional input he what inspires him to do all these, gives to my business – and vise he humbly said that he wants versa, it is Mul’s high moral sense to give back to the community and love for his Kababayans that because he knew how it feels to make him a great man. Current- start from nothing. As one who ly, Mul leads several humanitaralso came from poverty, he wants ian organizations here and in the to share his blessings by dedicatPhilippines. ing his time, money and services He is the Chairman of to the underprivileged. And this is the Board of Trustees of TLC where he feels most fulfilled and International and supported rewarded for his work. various non- profit organizations As previously mentioned, through Fashion Shows where he Mul graduated with a degree presented his elegant collecin Civil Engineering and was a tions with “Engineered Design Development Planning Officer in to Perfection.” He was an active Bacolod City, Philippines before member of the Board of Direche emigrated to US in 1991. tors of Negrenses of America, He switched careers when Inc. in 1996 and was the Presihe discovered his passion for dent of his hometown non-profit Design. He said it was probably organization, Townsfolk of La because of his mother’s influCastellana – USA from 2000 to ence as a seamstress. He started 2004. Under his leadership and a corporate medical uniforms with unparalleled devotion to his and sports wear business, which humanitarian vision, the orgawas highly successful, and later nization was able to raise funds branched out. He decided to

further his skills to allow him to build a brand, so he enrolled in Computer Aided Design in Fashion at the California Design College and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2002. He was chosen to design a Fashion Icon inspired by the Film of Greta Garbo for Kelly Preston at Fashion Show Gala. Mul’s creations are contemporary and elegant and were known for its versatility. He was honored as Philippine Image Fashion Designer, April 2005 in Los Angeles. He also received an award for his Haute Couture Designs for the Fashion Show in June, 2009, a Beautiful Life Celebration with Ruffa Gutierrez at CBS Studio. He was a featured Fashion Designer in the Annual Rescues On The Runway Fashion Show and Miss Santa Clarita Valley Scholarship Program in 2009 to 2011. Now, Mul owns Mul Tayoba Couture and specializes in custom Prom Outfit, Debutante, Evening Wear, Quincianera, Formal Outfit for all occasions and Wedding Ensembles. Aside from his high fashion and moral sense, Mul is a great husband to Rose Gecosala, and a loving father to his three successful children: Mikko, who is now a Civil Engineer, Myla, a Bioengineer and Miky, who is graduating in Music and Media Communication. I could go on and on about how great of a man Mul Tayoba is but like the proverbial rule, “seeing is believing,” I suggest you get to know him and his heart – and you will be inspired. To Mul Tayoba: Congratulations on your Beautiful Life Award. I will see you very soon. *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary allnatural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration. To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com

entertainment SF5 Sharon Cuneta ‘a little offended’ by FAMAS snub The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - October 9, 2015

by Joyce Jimenez Philstar.com

MANILA—Sharon Cuneta admitted that she was “a little offended” when Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards (FAMAS) didn’t include her as recipient of Iconic Movie Queens of Philippine Cinema award. FAMAS celebrated six decades of Philippine cinema on its 63rd year and gave out nine special awards, including the Iconic Movie Queens. The recipients of the award are Gloria Romero, Susan Roces, Nora Aunor, Maricel Soriano, Dawn Zulueta and Sarah Geronimo. “Kasi it was icons and queens. I think that was… I was

Sharon Cuneta admitted that she was “a little offended” when she was not included by FAMAS as one of the recipients of this year’s Iconic Movie Queens of Philippine Cinema award.

a little offended with FAMAS,” she said in an interview with

Boy Abunda in Tonight with Boy Abunda. “Sabi ko nga, so ano nangyaro noong ’80 at ‘90s? Buti pa si Ate Guy naalala niya,” she added, referring to Nora Aunor who mentioned her on her speech, saying that she hope to see other deserving actresses being given such recognition. “Ate Guy said that and then I said, if one of the best actresses in the country and in the world says this about you and shows people and shows you how much she respects what you have contributed, you know what, wala nang hihigit pa na honor doon kasi si Ms. Nora Aunor siya,” she concluded.

Sam Milby says prenups a ‘negative’ in marriage by Joyce Jimenez Philstar.com

Sam Milby doesn’t believe in prenuptial agreements, saying that these give marriage a “negative vibe.”

MANILA—Sam Milby believes that a prenuptial agreement is not necessary before marriage. “I personally don’t believe in prenup. I think when you get married, it’s all or nothing,” he said. “It’ll give a negative vibe in the marriage,” he added. “For me, it’s all or nothing, I don’t honestly believe in prenup.” His opinion about prenup agreement is the same with his character in his upcoming film Prenup. The film is his first movie with Regal Films, and Sam is happy for the interesting story and costar that they have given him.

Aside from the film, Sam is also preparing for his tenth year anniversary concert on November 28 at the Kia Theater in Cubao, Quezon City. It’s dubbed “The Milby Way,” where he is

expected to express a different side of him. Some of the guests set to appear in his concert are Gerald Anderson, Xian Lim, Rayver Cruz and Enchong Dee.

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Daniel Matsunaga on proposing ‘Felix Manalo’ premiere bags to erich Gonzales: Maybe soon The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - October 9, 2015

2 Guinness World Records The world premiere of the biopic Felix Manalo has broken two new world records on Sunday, Oct. 4. Felix Manalo now holds the Guinness World Records for “Largest Attendance For A Film Screening” and “Largest Attendance For A Film Premiere” as 42,624 people attended the premiere. Guinness World Records representatives Marco Frigatti and Victoria Tweedey confirmed that the Iglesia ni Cristo was able to secure the world records. The record for “Largest Attendance For A Film Screening” was previously held by Stars and Stripes honor Flight (USA) for the world premiere of Honor Flight in 2012 which had

Dennis Trillo as Felix Manalo

28,442attendees. Meanwhile, the record for “Largest Attendance For A Film Premiere” was previously held by The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian where 10,000 people attended its

premiere at the O2 Arena in London in 2008. The film, which has Dennis Trillo and Bella Padilla as its lead actors, will be shown on October 7 in theaters. (Inquirer. net)

MANILA—Is Daniel Matsunaga planning to propose to erich Gonzales in the near future? During their appearance on ABS-CBN’s noontime show ASAP on Sunday, Oct. 4, the model-actor told the 25-yearold actress: “Alam mo, mahal na mahal kita. Gagawin ko ang lahat para masaya ang buhay natin.” Asked by program co-host Piolo Pascual if he’s already proposing, Daniel said: “Hindi pa, hindi pa. But maybe soon.” The two admitting being in a relationship earlier this year. Daniel was rumored to have proposed to erich during their vacation in Paris in June. “I’ve been waiting for this relationship for three years. I’m not the kind of guy who would go into a relationship for fun” he said in an interview with Philstar. com last July. “So, right now, I’m very, very happy. That’s what I can say to you. In God time’s. There’s always a perfect timing for everything.” (Philstar.com)

Regine will support husband Ogie if he decides to enter politics Kean Cipriano admits relationship with Chynna Ortaleza by Joyce Jimenez Philstar.com

MANILA—Regine Velasquez- Alcasid will give her full support to husband Ogie Alcasid if he changes his mind and decides to enter politics. Recently, rumors came out that there have been offers for the singer-songwriter to join the senatorial race in 2016. however, reports claim he turned it down since his wife Regine is against it. “You know, hindi totoo ‘yan,” she said in a press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the Luxent hotel in Quezon City for her upcoming concert Regine at the Theater. “I’m very supportive. If he wants to run even if I don’t want him to run, I will support him. he knows that,” she added. “[But] he has decided a long time ago that he wants to be a public servant, not a politician. You can ask him yourself.” Ogie is currently the

president of Organisasiyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM) and is doing several shows in TV5, namely No Harm, No Foul, Tropa Mo Ko Unli and Happy Truck ng Bayan. When it comes to having a second child, Regine said they’re not feeling pressured. “We’re trying pero hindi ko ine-expect,” she said. “Kasi like before, lagi kong sinasabi, if God wants to grant us another child then we’ll be happy. ‘Pag hindi naman, I’m okay. Hindi ko po siya kina-career. Mas mahirap ‘yon, e, kapag kina-career ko tapos ayaw. It would be more frustrating.” It was in Nov. 8, 2011 when the Asia’s Songbird gave birth to their first child Nate, who will turn four this year. Regine admitted that before their marriage, they have considered undergoing artificial insemination for her to get pregnant. Their “honeymoon baby” came without them plan-

by Joyce Jimenez Philstar.com

Regine Velasquez-Alcasid will give her full support to husband Ogie Alcasid if he decides to enter

ning it. “Talagang Nate is a gift from God, talagang hindi na ako dumaan doon. Kasi it’s really painful for the girl,” she said about artificial insemination. “So now, my motto is the same. If God wants us to have another child, we’ll be so happy. If hindi, okay lang. Nate is more than enough,” she concluded.

MANILA—Kean Cirpriano finally admits he is in a relationship with Chynna Ortaleza. “Yes,” Kean quickly replied when asked by Boy Abunda if he’s in a relationship with Chynna, on an episode of Tonight With Boy Abunda. “She’s the most beautiful girl in the world. She’s the most beautiful girl in my life,” he added, describing his girlfriend. Kean and Chynna were speculated to be together since they were often seen together. The two have known each other for years after working together off cam. Aside from being the lead vocalist of Callalily, Kean is also into acting and directing.

Daniel Matsunaga tells Erich Gonzales: “Gagawin ko ang lahat para masaya ang buhay natin.”

Philstar.com photo by Jonathan Asuncion

Their relationship may still be young, but Kean admitted talking about marriage with Chynna. “She’s the future,” he said. “I’m the happiest person at the hour. I’m the happiest person alive. Being with your best friend. Parang wala ng mas maganda than to spend time with your best friend that you can be silent with [and] be loud with.” he also pointed out that he’s more open about their relationship, unlike before where he avoids talking about his personal life. When it comes to his career, Kean denied that he’s leaving his band Callalily despite having a solo career in acting and directing. he is also currently seen in ABS-CBN’s Your Face Sounds Familiar and is part of the

ean Cirpiano admits he is in a relationship with Chynna Ortaleza.

movie starring Solenn heussaffe and Derek Ramsay. “I won’t be here if not for Callalily,” he explained. “I’m Kean Cipriano of Callalily, that’ll always be my last name.” The band turned ten this year, and they’ll be releasing a new album this month as a treat for their fans.

The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - October 9, 2015

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